Ingredient Stories

EVOL community service helps Boulder Valley Schools practice farm to table…

As part of our annual company objectives, each EVOL employee is required to spend time performing community service.

Christian & Ryan from EVOL with Lindsay from the School Food Project at University Hill Elementary in Boulder

We partnered with the GROWE Foundation a few years ago, and we have been proud to help them achieve their goals of educating children about food, eating and the environment through the execution of experiential learning programs built around the installation and maintenance of on-site gardens at schools.  When the folks from GROWE asked us to help the School Food Project participate in Rainbow Days, a program in which schools harvest lettuce from their own school gardens, serve them in cafeterias, and encourage children to eat at least three different colored vegetables during lunchtime, we jumped at the chance.

The school gardens grow all different species and colors of lettuce - not the standard commodity stuff that comes out of a bag from a distributor

Myself and a couple of team members from the Ops Dept headed to to University Hill Elementary where we helped cafeteria cooks and the School Food Project staff encourage and serve lettuce to the kids.  It was so inspiring!  The kids were really into it and to be honest, getting them to eat veggies didn’t take much encouragement!  Their salad bar is beautiful, and I couldn’t help but think back to what it was like growing up on that crap prison food in the LA Unified School District in the ’80′s when I was a kid.  What a difference!  We never had fresh vegetables like that – and the concept of the greens having come from a on-site school garden would have been laughable at the time.

All BVSD Schools have salad bars at their cafeterias

There’s still a long way to go on solving the national school lunch program, but watching little kids interact with a salad bar stocked with lettuce that they proudly grew themselves is a step in the right direction.

All BVSD schools use locally produced organic milk from Organic Valley - Yay!

Cool Cows! Niman Ranch Weekend

The beautiful Jaca Ranch outside of Boise, ID

Where do I start – the beautiful landscape of a family owned farm, the passionate discussion about sustainability, the amazing chef created meals, or the rocking 80′s band? This past weekend I got the privilege of attending the Niman Ranch retreat in Boise, ID along with several other members of our EVOL team. It was a great chance to get to know one of our key suppliers, and we liked what we found.

The EVOL crew with the 5th generation farmer of the Jaca Family!

Niman Ranch is a co-op of over 700 family farms and they have high standards for their animals. The animals are never given antibiotics, growth hormones, or fed animal by-products, but we also found that the cows spend most of their lives grazing on open pasture and they are truly treated in a humane way. My favorite part of the whole weekend was getting a chance to talk directly to the farmer. The family is made up of 4th, 5th, and 6th generation (some pretty cute kids) farmers who truly care for the land and their animals. An interesting moment came when they were asked how their farm was sustainable, and the crowd of city slickers were confused when the family only responded by talking about their economic ability to last 6 generations. The fact is that they have to care for the land and their animals to be able to survive 6 generations, however, they are more proud that they have been able to thrive during the ups and downs of the commodity beef market. They had always had a quality product, but partnering with Niman Ranch has allowed them to reap the rewards for the extra care and effort they put into raising their cows. Visiting the farm was a great insight into how choosing quality ingredient partners is better for everybody – the farmers, the land, and the taste of our products.

The view from the Jacas family house. This is where the cattle graze in the Summer.

We also got to attend an insightful conference on Saturday where we passionately tried to define sustainability (not an easy task, but the definition I liked the most was, “sustainable means meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. We were also treated to a lunch that was created by local chefs using Niman products, and ended the night rocking out to a memorable 80′s cover band.

The delicious lunch prepared by the local chefs.

The weekend made me proud to say we use Niman Ranch products, and gave me a deeper gratitude for the care and hard work that goes into our ingredients.

A pilgrimage is made to an artisanal cured meat shop in Seattle

For years I have wanted to visit the Salumi Artisinal Cured Meat Shop in Seattle, co-founded by Armandino Batali – celebrity chef Mario Batali’s father.  I have read about this place in a variety of foodie mags and finally had the priveledge of visiting the shop on a business trip to Seattle.

The mixed Salami Platter and Porchetta Sandwich at Salumi in Seattle

We got lucky as we arrived on Gnochi day – this is the day where Grandma sits in the windowsill hand-making beautiful gnochi as the line out the door grows for hungry customers waiting to enjoy a special lunch.

Grandma takes a break from making gnocchi to speak with a customer at Salumi in Seattle

We enjoyed a platter of salami as well as a Porchetta Sandwich (slow cooked roasted pork with spices, onions, and peppers).  The salami was absolutely the best I have ever had.  The slices were thin and chewy – perfectly cured and flavored with unique spices.  One of the salami’s had ginger and cardamom in it – it was delicious!  They had such an incredible selection of different types of autnentic Italian Meats such as Guanciale (cured pork jowel) and lamb prosciuto.

If you ever find yourself in Seattle, get yourself to Salumi’s – it is an incredible eating experience that is rarely found these days.

EVOL Digs In!

Last week EVOL celebrated a very special holiday very near and dear to our hearts. I am talking about Mom (and it’s not Mother’s Day). It’s the holiday where we celebrate the Mom that gives us air to breathe, the shade of trees and the beautiful scenery that we get to see everyday from our offices. That’s right, we celebrated Mother Earth last Friday as our corporate office got together to plant trees and shrubberies in celebration of Earth Day!

EVOL Earth Day Volunteer Project

We gathered our team for a quick picnic in the park down the street from our offices and then geared up to go to Walden Ponds, a recreation area where seniors can cast a line and enjoy the beautiful scenery in Boulder. We worked with the Boulder County Parks and Open Space department to help create new habitats for songbirds, waterfowl and small mammals as well as help beautify the area and provide shade for the fish and fishermen alike. I mean if a few trees can do all of that, then why not help out?

We evol Mother Earth

When we arrived, the team at Boulder County Parks and Open Space thought there was just too much to do, in too little time. They quickly learned the work ethic of an EVOL employee, and our team was able plant over 88 trees and shrubs of at least 5 different species. It was no easy task, and we had to get dirty, very very dirty- but, we finished the project ahead of schedule and gained the satisfaction of contributing to our community and our planet.

Our CEO Tom pitching in

I walked away with dirt in almost every crevice of my body, a nice scrape from a tumble down the hill and a sunburned neck, but I have to say, I was extremely proud of my fellow EVOL employees and to be a part of a team that values community service and doing good for our environment. And even if I had to get a manicure this weekend to get all the dirt out of my fingernails, I am glad that I was able to give a little back to my Mother Earth who gives so much to me.

Stephanie Winslow
Assistant Brand Manager
EVOL Foods

That's me in the wheelbarrow. Working hard and having fun!

10 Years

I have been officially making burritos (and other foods) as Phil’s Fresh Foods, for exactly 10 years.  I just dug up my first invoice to the Eldorado Corner Market from 1/29/2002 for just over $50.  Ahhh, the good old days.  Those products were made in my 1906 Eldorado Springs Cabin on a crappy gas fired stove at 5am while my girlfriend (now wife) slept on our futon in the same room next to the wood fired stove – how romantic!

The 1906 Eldorado Springs Cabin, where the first Burritos were made

The labels were made on an old HP printer using the Jokerman font.  The product was delivered in coolers with icepacks in my Grandma’s old Toyota Camry.

Of course or food safety program was a little different in those days.  That original Green Chile Breakfast Burrito had big hunks of pork in it and was braised in a cast iron skillet and stirred with a wooden spoon.  There was no USDA stamp or even an understanding of who the USDA was, but who cared?  The cops at PDQ gas station on Table Mesa loved that product.  They freaked out when the USDA shut me down (after a local competitor turned me in) and I had to pull the meat from the burritos because I wasn’t inspected by the USDA.

Oh the memories….  Which was the best?  Was it the after hour kinkos sessions in the middle of the night when my buddy and I stayed up designing old Phil’s Fresh Foods packaging artwork?  Was it my original delivery driver who looked just like ZZ Top and lived on land in Rollinsville without any running water or electricity ?  Was it my original office next to Boulder Toyota where I kept my sleeping bag for the numerous all nighters that were pulled?  Was it the time the refrigerated van was stollen off the dock at the West Colfax Vitamin Cottage by a male prostitute (I had to go testify against him in court once they caught him)?  Ahhh, the glory days…

Thank you to all who supported helping to fulfill my original dream of climbing in Eldorado Canyon every day.  Wait, that didn’t happen….

Thank you to all for helping to fulfill my v2 dream of creating a super-rad company, of building community and relationships, family and friends, and a great life and business.

Homemade baguettes take a lot of effort

I am by no means an accomplished baker.  To say that I am an amateur baker would be a stretch, but lately, I have been baking a lot of bread – and I have been getting really into it.

Shaped baguettes move from a floured cloth to the peel prior to baking

I think I probably never gravitated to baking because with it, comes the requirement of some type of structure, organization, recipes, exact quantities, exact temperatures, etc…  That’s just not the way I roll in my kitchen.  I maintain very few recipes and nothing tends to be cooked or come out the same twice.  I think that’s why I always shied away from baking – I saw it more as chemistry than cooking.  It would make sense that now, after having spent ten years building the EVOL Manufacturing Plant into a legitimate, professional, and systematized operation, that I would finally have developed the discipline and tolerance to follow procedure, write something down, take a temperature, and try something more process oriented.  In short, I am ready to learn how to bake.

My baked baguettes looked OK but lacked proper slashing and forming

I have been baking off of the very awesome book, Baking with Julia, that I acquired about 15 years ago, but have used very seldom until one month ago.  This is a book that was based off of a PBS Series that was run in the mid ’90′s in which Julia Child hosted the most acclaimed bakers in the country in dozens of 30 minute episodes.

Baking with julia - an awesome text on baking and patisserie

After a number of successful loafs including basic white bread, wheat bread, and rye bread, I skipped right to one of the most challenging bread in the book – the Mixed Starter Bread.  This is a bread whose taste, texture, crust and crumb is developed through a number of starters and takes nearly two full days to complete.  It is a bread far stickier than anything I have ever made before.  I have to say that my first attempt was relatively successful, although it lacked the real crunch of a traditional French Baguette.  The flavor and crumb was awesome, but the crust needs some work.  Part of the nuance of baking a bread like this lies in the final moments in which the proofed loaf is slashed, placed on a pizza peel, and thrust into a blazing hot 500 degree oven on top of a baking stone.  To further complicate the matter, one needs to attempt to create steam in the oven chamber by hitting a super-heated pan with water right before the door is closed – all the while moving as quickly as possible to maintain as much heat as possible.  I have to admit that this sequence of events was challenging the first time, and the loaves seemed to brown unusually fast, but the results were pretty good – not amazing.

The fresh baguettes tasted incredible with butter and jam - I ate a whole loaf myself

Being in the food manufacturing business and being highly attuned to process, costs, and systemization, my only question remaining after having completed this process was, How could anyone ever make money doing this commercially?  Seriously?  If you make bread for a living, I salute you.  I don’t know how you do it.  Wow those two baguettes were a lot of work!  I could have gotten better baguettes at Whole Foods for $1.99 a piece and wouldn’t have had to look like a lunatic to my wife as I spent two whole days heating my bathroom with space heaters to double as a proofing chamber for the dough’s!  She thought I was nuts!

I am so pissed…

And it’s all because I suck at making pickles.  I know – sounds stupid, right?  Getting this upset about a pickle?  But I don’t know how else to feel considering the colossal failure of pickling that has occurred in my garage recently.

Partially fermented pickles in a crock in my garage - before the yeast came!

I am a pickle freak.  My mom used to tell stories about me as a three year old escaping my crib and heading downstairs to the fridge to eat pickles in the middle of the night.  I have been known to give a rant and it goes something like this:  Shelf stable (ie, hot filled & pasteurized – made with Vinegar) pickles suck.  A real pickle doesn’t need vinegar – only brine made from salt and water.  Most shelf stable pickles aren’t even technically pickles in my book – because they’re not fermented.  And that’s where taste, process, and ultimately, art, converge.  Ever been to a Jewish deli?  I mean, a real one?  I grew up in them, and the minute you sit down, you get a plate of pickles.  If it’s a good place, they give you a few Full Sours, a Few Half Sours (which taste a little bit more Cucumber-y and less brine-y), and possibly even some fresh Sauerkraut.  If you’re super lucky, you might even get a pickled green tomato.  Those are awesome but tough to find.

Since moving to Colorado 15 years ago, my life has been void of the sublime experience of a perfectly executed dill pickle.  I finally found the Ba Tampte Brand, which is the best and most true commercialized pickle out there.  But I always aspired to make my own.  A dear friend and I had been ranting about the shortage of awesome pickles in the world for quite some time when he finally stepped up and showed up at my house with a brand new beautiful 10 gallon Stone Crock.  It was on!

Fast-forward a few weeks and there we are chillin’ in the backyard peeling his mom’s home-grown garlic, snipping fresh grape leaves from my neighbor’s yard (they make them crunchier, supposedly), and most importantly, trimming and washing some beautiful teeny tiny crunchy locally grown Colorado Cuc’s.

Beautiful locally grown organic flowering dill and Cuc's from Isabelle Farms in Boulder

During the first week, we were feeling super confident as our brine took on a really nice flavor and the pickles started to pick up the saltiness, the dill, and a bit of sour.  Then things went south – and fast!  Yeast!!!!  An outbreak of yeast!  How could it be?  We followed the instructions in Wild Fermentation (AKA the modern day Fermentation Bible) to a T.  We even posted a question on the Wild Fermentation Blog about the issue.  16 reads but no responses!  Wow!  We really were screwed!  If people who blog about fermenting cucumbers couldn’t answer our question, who could?

After much debate (usually after a few glasses of wine) and a series of theories, we deducted that our brine strength could have been too weak, that the temperature could have been too warm, or that our sanitation could have been questionable.  We dumped our beautiful yeast-ified pickles and went out to the farmers market to buy more.

This time there was no stopping us.  Or so we thought.  We made our brine stronger, strictly controlled our sanitation, and had better temperature control.  But by day three the yeast was back again!    I was ready to lose it.  How could we be defeated by yeast twice in a row.  I don’t know who else to ask or where else to turn to, but I feel truly lost right now.  Could we not conquer the pickle in two attempts?  Let this entry serve as a plea to the pickle world:  HELP!

This time there was no stopping us.  Or so we thought.  We made our brine stronger, strictly controlled our sanitation, and had better temperature control.  But by day three the yeast was back again!    I was ready to lose it.  How could we be defeated by yeast twice in a row.  I don’t know who else to ask or where else to turn to, but I feel truly lost right now.  Could we not conquer the pickle in two attempts?  Let this entry serve as a plea to the pickle world:  HELP!

A Friday in the Garden

Not every company I know of will shut down for a day in order to give back to the community, then again I am not sure I know many companies quite like EVOL. My career at this company has only just begun but it is already obvious to me that my new co-workers truly care about the people we serve and the food they eat.

Me and my colleagues Heather and Allen weeding the garden

One might ask why a food manufacturing company would help maintain gardens so that children can learn by growing their own food. This seems like a perfectly viable market for our products (just a joke). However, the Growe Foundation of Boulder Colorado does so much more than simply teach elementary school children how to grow food; they use food as a tool to teach science, math, even history!

We had a lot of work to do to prep the gardens so the local elementary kids could get some benefit out of the awesome program. We did everything from lay down weed barriers, pull weeds, thin out plants, haul rocks and sling mulch, all basically in the name of science.

The EVOL Team

There is really nothing better than getting a whole Friday to go dig in the dirt with your friends and co-workers on a perfectly sunny summer day in Colorado. As the school year begins and the gardens become the classroom, all of us at Evol can feel good about our contribution. If children are the future then we definitely helped plant the seeds to get them growin’.

Do something nice for someone!

Patrick Bernard

Sales Coordinator, Evol Foods

Sustainability isn’t perfect and neither are we.

To all EVOL Bowl users:  I’m sorry.  Yes, I know.  Our original compostable bowl kind of sucked.  It would sometimes fall apart during heating.

EVOL's new and improved compostable bowl

Committing your business to sustainability requires compromises.  Thank you for your understanding and continued support while we solved this problem and simultaneously continued and expanded our company wide commitment to sustainability.  Our new and improved compostable bowl is INCREDIBLE!  Not only does it not fall apart or stick to food, it supercedes the previous bowls compostability and up-stream sustainability standards.  The bowl is manufactured using very little water and has a completely self-contained washing process.  The forming and drying process proceeds immediately follows the Biopulping Process, substantially reducing the amount of energy and water used during processing.  There are no chemicals, bleaches or binding agents introduced at any stage of the manufacturing process and the bowl has a beautiful natural brown color representative of the grasses from which it is made.

Unlike many “compostable” or “biodegradable” products that require industrial composting, this product is truly compostable and will biodegrade in your backyard compost pile or even directly in your garden.

Hope you all are as excited about the new bowl as I am!

Naturally Boulder – 2007 to Present

When I first attended the Naturally Boulder Conference in 2007, I was a fledgling entrepreneur.  I had no clue what I was doing, but I did have a brand that already had achieved greater than $1,000,000 / year in sales.  But I needed help.  Lots of help.  So I participated in the (now infamous) Pitch Slam.  This is a contest held annually in which Natural Products Entrepreneurs pitch their product ideas in 60 seconds or less to a panel of industry experts.  I won that years pitch slam, which was the first.

Phil pitching Phil's Fresh Burritos at the first Naturally Boulder Pitch Slam Contest in 2007

Even though Naturally Boulder is a small regional organization, winning was really a big deal for me.  I got the opportunity to meet with industry legends like Steve Demos (founder of Silk) and Mark Retzloff (founder of Alfalfas and many other brands).  Steve and Mark both became huge mentors to me over the past years and Mark Retzloff currently serves on our Board of Directors.  Fast forward four years, and EVOL is a national brand.  At this years pitch slam, I was a judge, not a participant – that was really cool!  What an honor!  Even cooler, EVOL was awarded Company of the Year by Naturally Boulder.  Steve Demos made the announcement on stage and handed me the award.  Steve is so inspirational to all of us in the Natural Foods Industry – I told him that getting an award from him felt kind of like getting an award from The Pope.

Some of my EVOL Team Members celebrating our award as Company of the Year

EVOL had an outstanding year and I am very thankful to Naturally Boulder for giving us this prestigious award – but most importantly, I am thankful to my outstanding team of more than 50 employees, who work tirelessly every day to build this brand into something outstanding that we are all incredibly proud of.  Thank you team!  This award is yours, not mine.

Summer gone to my manufacturing plant

Sometimes you have to die before you can be re-born – or I guess that’s what I tell myself to stomach the harder times in life and business.  Growing a business is hard – really hard.  After gaining control of the business and building out our team a few years ago, I started to feel like my relationship with my business would no longer be equated to trench warfare.  And that was the case for a few years.

I guess you should be careful of what you wish for – because EVOL grew a TON in the past two years, and some of that wonderful infrastructure we built started to need a makeover.  Welcome back:  trench warfare.  Here we are, the summer is nearly over, and I have spent all of the last four months waking up before the sun rises, wearing jeans, working on equipment, managing projects, and helping to build the next layer of growth at our plant.  It has been incredibly fun, challenging, painful, invigorating, fulfilling, and productive.  I’m starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel, but I haven’t spent any time managing my garden, riding bikes, going out on hikes, or any of those types of super-fun activities that I normally equate with summer.

The summer has looked almost entirely like this:

Self-portrait (i-phone photo) of me at the plant after a very long day

Drain and concrete work project at the EVOL Plant

Me hiking in Squaw Valley last summer (self portrait by i-phone)

Me climbing at the Freight Train Boulder in South Boulder

Shine: The Big Party

Grant and I getting ready to go dance!

Life as a kid

 

As I jumped in the suit and hit the street with the kiddos, I instantly saw a sparkle in each pair of eyes that gleamed my way.  It made me remember the first time I saw my boyhood hero, Raphael, the red-banded Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, at a close toy shop during Halloween.  I remember being star-struck and wanting to ask him about his crime fighting.  A little part of me worried if he had to fight the Shredder later that evening and all I wanted to do was eat a slice of pizza with him.

The little ones came my way and gave Curious George such a big hug.  Everything from princesses to cowboys to Sponge Bobs.  Every character and cartoon figure was represented.  I saw my other teammates entertaining their audiences with handcrafts, picture moments with Harry Potter, educational shorts about spiders and creepy crawlers.  Needless to say, our little spectators were captivated from the sheer overload of entertainment, candy & crafts provided by the day.

I’m glad I was able to spend a day with the EVOL posse all the while reminiscing about the whimsical lives we once lived.  Luckily for me, that inner kid has never left the building.

///Lee

Serve Austin Sundays

This past weekend, our family went out to Jackie’s school where we did everything from painting to weedeating – I even learned how to fix an old drinking fountain. My kids were busy returning gravel into the playground and sweeping sidewalks (and then earned the privilege to play : ).

While doing an act of service is powerful in itself, I find that it is the community that really brings joy to my heart. Whether it be with people I have never met before or longtime friends, doing volunteer work together is an incredible bonding opportunity and life experience.

Truth be told, my heart does not yearn for volunteering… quite the opposite in fact. However, every time I am part of a community service project, I realize how great it is for everyone involved (giver and receiver).

Serve Austin Sunday Video: Watch Now

Restore Communities website: http://restorecommunities.org/serve-austin-sunday.htm

Go be a blessing and discover the joy of doing it with a group of friends or family!
- Jon Jennings, VP Communications

Spreading Some Evol Love on Earth Day

As you know, Earth Day was officially held on Friday, April 22nd. In keeping with Evol tradition, our team went ALL-OUT to celebrate keeping our planet healthy and clean. Who else would find ways to incorporate 80’s gear, sidewalk chalk and 4-star into an Earth Day celebration?

We started the day strong by filming our Evol games video. (Check out our team’s moves and the great cause we’re raising money for if you haven’t done so already – www.evolgames.com) After a quick change out of our 80s gear, we got to work. Manned with gloves, garbage bags and beautiful weather, the team spent the rest of the day dividing and conquering a clean-up of Boulder Creek and the trails near our office. Spending the day outside was a nice change of pace and scenery. It reminded me how lucky we are to have a creek, park and set of trails steps away from our office door. It also reminded me just how amazing our team is, and how well we work together, regardless of what we’re trying to accomplish.

At the end of the day, I couldn’t stop telling the team how much fun I had and what a great job they had done coordinating our day together. Earth Day 2011 was by far one of my favorite days as an Evol employee to date. With the weather warming up, I hope we all make a point to spend more time outside and take full advantage of our amazing backyard.

Best,

Alyssa Ferenz, Vice President of Finance

EVOL Supports A Teacher Who Supported Us

Many people reading this blog, probably don’t realize that my sister and I work together here at EVOL. It’s a long story but I started working at EVOL through a job lead from her and six months later she started working at EVOL because of a job lead from me.  If you want to the full story read this: http://issuu.com/timescall/docs/winter_longmont_mag?mode=embed&layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Flight%2Flayout.xml

Anyway, we both grew-up right outside of Boulder in Longmont, CO. So when EVOL got a request to help out at a local Longmont event, there was no question, we would be there.

Growing up, Danielle and I both had an 8th grade teacher named Mr. Cribby who taught Math and Science. Throughout high school and college he has always remained one of my all-time favorite teachers, and even though I am no math or science whiz he made an impact on my life as I sure he did to many others. Just three months ago Mr. Cribby was diagnosed with a systemic bacterial infection.  As he became more critical, he required more aggressive surgery and required a forequarter amputation, along with the removal of other tissue.  After over eight weeks in the ICU and three weeks in rehab, Mr. Cribby came home on May 13th.

Students, Friends and Family of Mr. Cribby’s came together to host the Happy Smachka 5K Run/Walk http://www.happysmackah.com/?p=56 on May 14th to raise money for the Cribby’s mounting medical bills. EVOL Burritos was there along with a few former students to pass hot burritos to all of the racers in attendance.

Here at EVOL we all value the importance of community, especially the community we run our business in.We were not only thrilled to hand out burritos for a good cause in our community but also to see everyone come together to support an individual in our community that has impacted so many.

And p.s. Mr. Cribby is planning on returning to teaching in the Fall full-time. Now that’s a pretty amazing teacher.
Stephanie Winslow

Marketing and Events Manager

EVOL Foods

My sister Danielle and I with our friends Grant and Kayla who came and helped us pass out burritos.

O.A.R…Of a rEVOLution

I don’t think I fully realized what a great fit FestEVOL and O.A.R. were until I was  listening to probably their most recognized song, “Crazy Game of Poker” at FestEVOL in Okemo, VT. Not only is this song awesome, and I’ve loved it since I was 15 when I was singing it in the back of my friend Brett’s car, but it also has some fantastic lyrics that now tie into my job here at EVOL Foods. So here’s how it goes, “ I say of, you say a, I say revolution, and you say jah”. Get it? rEVOLution? Clever huh? But that’s truly what FestEVOL has been the past three weeks; a rEVOLution of fantastic music, great riding and skiing and bringing together natural and eco-friendly brands to create the best ever FestEVOL experience.

The three week concert/ski extravaganza started with our trip to Okemo Mountain Resort in Ludlow, Vermont. The moment our marketing team arrived we were greeted with hospitality from everyone on the Okemo staff. Even though we are all hard core Colorado skiers and riders and a little biased to our mountains in Colorado, we quickly saw not only what a great place Okemo is to ride, but also what a great place it is for families. We started the weekend out by sampling our hot mini burritos to skiers and boarders and we didn’t stop until closing time on Sunday. Saturday also brought the first concert with the Pete Kilpatrick Band, DJ Logic and O.A.R.! The concert was quickly at capacity and concert goers were out enjoying ski apres in the parking lot before the concert:

FestEVOL Okemo Tailgate

Next on the list was FestEVOL Crested Butte. This stop of FestEVOL was especially exciting for us because the entire EVOL Foods team was able to come to down to catch the concert and spend the day skiing and snowboarding at beautiful Crested Butte. Of course the marketing team was “working” (if you can call it work) for the weekend slinging hot burritos and bringing the EVOL experience to Crested Butte, but we also got a chance to spend some time enjoying the “freshies” as my co-worker Chris Lee calls it and I was reminded of how much I love to ski at Crested Butte and how there is really no where on the earth like it. If you’ve never been, you need to go. Saturday was capped with another fantastic O.A.R., Pete Kilpatrick, and DJ Logic line-up and the view for this concert literally took your breath away. Take a look at this picture of the concert. Jealous of my job yet?

FestEVOL Crested Butte

Creekside Elementary Cooking Class

As a kid, I remember my mom making sure that I had breakfast in the morning. However, like many of my generation, this often meant a pop tart or sugary coffeecake of some kind. Food has been to my generation what cigarettes were to our parents’ generation; a nearly universally accepted habit, but incredibly dangerous. It is with the dangers hidden in foods in mind that my co-worker, Danielle, and I volunteer a few hours every Wednesday morning to the Growe Foundation, working out of Creekside Elementary, to teach kids how to cook in a healthy manner.

At first glance, a bunch of children using their hands as Kleenex, playing with their hair, and cutting your soon-to-be food is a less than appealing. Maybe a lot less than appealing… But the truth behind the matter is that I’d eat about anything a kid makes for me, especially if it is in the name of learning healthful eating habits. We are blessed to have two local chefs that donate their time and lead the show.  Last week we made Bean and Cheese Quesadillas and Pico de Gallo (we were working with younger children and therefore made an easier recipe). In the past we have made non-bake, non-dairy, non-gluten cookies with coconut and seeds. And the best part? The kids ate them and loved them! Here’s to a little bit of positive peer pressure mixed with a little chocolate… It is amazing to see kids congregate and say “Ew, I would never eat <insert vegetable, seed, and/or grain here>,” and by the end ofclass say “Wow, that’s good!” For the parents of Creekside who have found “squids”(the root end of green onions) in their child’s pockets on a Wednesday afternoon, I apologize.

It remains in my mind, however, that we are in Boulder, and incredibly blessed by our surroundings and relative wealth. Hopefully the kids are taking the recipes and habits home to share, and with it the want to share their experience as well. It would be great to see classes like these spread so we can continue the fight against childhood obesity and bad eating habits from more angles. Otherwise we will continue to give free lunches in schools and see the healthy items get thrown out,and continue to hear “Ew!” from kids without inciting trial or new and delicious foods.

Heather Marvin

Controller

I Have a Dream Foundation

I decided about 2 years ago to get involved with the I Have A Dream Foundation who’s condensed version of their mission is, “to empower children in low-income communities to achieve higher education.”

The organization appealed to me for several reasons. The first is that I had such a great college experience, and I want to support all kids getting the chance to go to college wether they are low-income or not. I also wanted to broaden my life experience by getting involved with someone who has had a different background than my mostly white, Saint Louis, suburban upbringing.

I was paired with Cory, a 12 year old who lives with his grandmother because his parents aren’t really in the picture. I have to admit it started out awkward. He was a quiet kid, so for probably the first 4 months we would meet once every other week and have a lot of awkward silence.

At first, I was just happy that he would pick up the phone when I would call! I can imagine it is pretty weird for a 12 year old kid to have some guy call you up randomly and want to hang out. But we kept hanging out, and then something slowly changed…not as much awkwardness!

Myself and Corey

We started playing basketball together, he is a total baller, and doing fun activities like river-tubing, going to movies, Nuggets games, and different restaurants. He started to open up to me about school, girlfriends, life, and I did the same.

I think that he likes having someone to hang out with that gets him out of his typical routine, and I really enjoy talking and learning about his life. We still hang out on a regular basis, even though our official I Have A Dream “contract,” has ended, and it has now been about 2 years since we first met.

I can still call him up at any time to hang out, and I have really come to enjoy being a part of his life. Cory is doing well in school, is a good kid, and is on the path to college, and I think we are both glad to have each other in our lives.

Salem McLaughlin
Regional Sales Representative

EVOL Volunteer Initiative

When I first started at EVOL, our founder and COO, Phil Anson, came to me with his vision to create a corporate volunteer program. As an entrepreneur and philanthropist in his community, Phil has always believed that giving back is not an option but a social responsibility.

Myself and co-worker Heather Marvin cooking dinner at the Boulder Homeless Shelter.

Wisdom 2.0

This past weekend, we attended the Wisdom 2.0 Conference in Silicon Valley. This was a unique opportunity where we were not only sharing our burrito love, but we also sat shoulder to shoulder as students of the conference. The event was uniquely characterized by the beautiful spirit and brilliant minds of the people – from the hosts and speakers to everyone in attendance. We had a blast, and left incredibly inspired.

The big questions:

• How do we stay connected in a digital world and human world (in a balanced and health way)?
• Are the social network and the technology tools that support it, creating an opportunity for peace and good in the world, or are they creating disconnection and destruction?
• In our work and home, how do we keep up mental and physical wellness and healthy hand-to-hand community, while juggling the ever increasing push of information and communication into the palm of our hands?

It was very fun to participate in this healthy debate and listen to advocates for wellness in the world’s leading technology companies: Facebook, Twitter, Google, Ebay.

Check it out and check in on your wisdom 2.0

Enjoy!
Jon (VP Communications, EVOL)

EVOL Gets the Wildlife Experience!

Just a week after our gratifying X-perience at the X-Games, the EVOL team got the Wildlife Experience and let us tell you, it really is more than a museum! This day was special not only because we got to see the happy faces of so many excited children, but also because we were serving our new EVOL Bowls which we just released in January to Whole Foods Markets nationwide. These gluten-free bowls were a hit and we found everyone coming back for more at least once. The volunteers at the Wildlife Experience not only got to try our new bowls but they all enjoyed a freshly cooked burrito on their lunch break for the awesome work that they were doing to make this Wildlife Experience a true experience for everyone involved.

The children, the EVOL team, and all of the people present were there for the Kid’s Bowl and enjoyed a day checking out the most unbelievable frog exhibit one could imagine, along with some chocolate fondue and numerous activities around the museum. We brought along an activity of our own, well, besides munchin’ down on EVOL Bowls. Heard of cornhole? The bean bag toss game? Well I bet there are very few people that were not at the Wildlife Experience that have ever participated in a game of burrito toss. The EVOL team is more than satisfied with our day and look forward to more like it in the future.

Bummed you missed it? Well the EVOL team is always having good times so be sure to join us soon! Aside from the simple good time of grabbing an EVOL Bowl or Burrito today at your local grocery store, be sure not to miss our killer mountain-concert FestEVOL events at Okemo Mountain, VT (March 19), Crested Butte, CO (March 26), and Mount Sunapee, NH (April 2). It doesn’t get much better than hitting the slopes and reaching the bottom of the mountain at the end of the day to the live tunes of OAR and the smell of delicious EVOL Burritos, so we really hope you can make it!

Don’t ever forget that our world is becoming more and more EVOL every day, so be good to yourself, others, and our magnificent planet!

LOVE and EVOL,
Jamie Clarkson
Brand-Marketing Intern, EVOL Burritos

X-games Athletes find the EVOL love

EVOL brought in Make-A-Wish kids to the athlete's lounge where we were sampling, to chow down on a burrito as well as meet some of the X-Games athletes like Peter Olenick pictured here!

We returned to the office this week after a long, but exhilarating week at Winter X-games 15 in Aspen. Our marketing and event team served over 500 mini burritos per day to the talented (and hungry!) athletes. After the athletes spent the day shredding the slopes, a delicious burrito is just what the doctor ordered. Between dishing out our yummy, made from scratch burritos, we were able to the hit the slopes and catch some of the insane events in the beautiful 40-degree-plus weather in Aspen. At EVOL, we work hard and play hard.

Missed out on the all fun and feeling a little famished? Just pick up an EVOL burrito today at your local grocery store or catch us at one (or ALL) of our killer mountain-concert FestEVOL events in Okemo, VT (March 19), Crested Butte, CO (March 26), and Mount Sunapee, NH (April 2). You won’t want to pass up music from OAR, the EVOL team and our Boulder, Colorado- born burritos!

Lots of EVOL love,
Amanda Foulk
Marketing Intern, EVOL burritos

FestEVOL

EVOL is hosting the finest ski/snowboard and concert get-away you’ve ever seen… FestEVOL!

http://www.festevol.com/

Get your tickets now for any or all of the locations and we will see you on the mountain!

FestEVOL Okemo, VT- March 19th

FestEVOL Crested Butte, CO- March 26th

FestEVOL Mount Sunapee, NH- April 2nd

IZStyle Winter Tour

This event is aimed at you powder enthusiasts and is hitting slopes all across the nation: http://www.izstyle.com/

Come find the EVOL booth at the following events and locations for a delicious mini burrito:

Natural Products Expo West

EVOL will be exhibiting at the premier natural foods show, Expo West http://www.expowest.com/ew10/public/enter.aspx

March 11th-13th at the Anaheim Convention Center.

If your at the show stop by booth #2997 for a hot a delicious burrito sample and to say hi to our wonderful staff!

The Wildlife Experience: Kid’s Bowl

We will be sampling the lastest product from EVOL Burritos… Burrito Bowls at this family-friendly event.  Visit the website for more details.

February 5th from 10 AM-5 PM

Bring your kids down to check-out this interactive museum and get in the spirit of the Super Bowl (and the EVOL Bowls… hint hint).

Whole Foods, Cherry Creek Demos

Whole Foods, Pearl Street Demos

Come snag a taste of our classic,  mini,  premium burritos and bowls at this fantastic Whole Foods Store.  http://wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/boulder/

Demo Dates:

January 19th, 11 AM-3 PM

January 24th, 11 AM-3 PM

February 2nd, 11 AM- 3 PM

See you there!

Lots of LOVE and EVOL in 2011

The EVOL Marketing Team "hard at work" at the 2010 company holiday party.

Here at EVOL we are quickly winding down 2010 and planning for 2011. To the relief of our marketing team and event staff we will be taking a much needed break from the world of mini burritos and staying home with our friends and families for the holidays (as well as spending some much needed time on the slopes!)

We are coming back with a bang in January as we start the New Year off with a trip to the Winter X-Games. This year we figured out an equation that works really well: cold weather + hot burritos = a match made in powder heaven. We will be up sampling to the X-Game’s athletes and spectators from January 24th-31st, so if you are in or around the Aspen area, stop by and meet our team (and of course take a hot burrito). If you can’t be at Winter X-Games, just pick-up an EVOL Burrito at your local grocery store and then tune into ESPN to watch the action live; it’s almost as good as the real thing.

EVOL will also be hitting the road and more beautiful locations when we launch our inaugural FestEVOL event ( I know, clever huh?) Here at EVOL we love three things: burritos, great music and skiing/snowboarding. Well, I guess we love more than that, but we will be combining all three in a most fantastic mountain-concert getaway at Crested Butte, Okemo and Mount Sunapee Resorts to host the first ever FestEVOL with O.A.R. and the Pete Kilpatrick Band. I know everyone wants to go, so check it out at www.festevol.com and add your brilliance to the event.

This is just a sneak peak of the exciting things EVOL is bringing to our favorite burrito eaters. We have so much more in store for 2011 so keep tabs on us via Facebook and Twitter; and check back here everyone once and a while to see where we have been and where we are going. Who knows… there could be tasty, made from scratch, delicious burritos coming to a town near you, and you wouldn’t want to miss that.

Until 2011, we are wishing you and yours a very EVOL holiday season and hopefully there are visions of mini burritos dancing in your head.

Peace, Love, EVOL

Stephanie Winslow
Marketing Manager, EVOL Burritos

Winter X-Games

EVOL Burritos will be up in Aspen catching all of the action of the Winter X-Games http://espn.go.com/action/blog?sport=xgames January 24th- 30th.

If you are in the area give us a shout out on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/evolburritos and we will hook you up with a hot mini burrito!