Washington Wine Industry Launches Sustainable Certification
“From pest and disease management to sustainable water management, prioritizing worker health and safety and tracking various inputs, this program is environmentally sound, socially equitable, and economically viable,” said Sustainable WA Program Manager Katlyn Slone.
Red cheat grass blooming between vineyard rows, Ambassador vineyard, Red Mountain AVA, Washington
Sustainable WA is the first certified sustainability program built specifically for Washington vineyards. To achieve certification, growers must commit to sustainable viticultural practices and pass a third-party audit to ensure operations meet established standards. After initial certification, Sustainable WA vineyards require an audit every three years during which continual improvement must be shown.
“Sustainable WA is built on the tenet that sustainability is a journey and is dedicated to ongoing evaluation and continual improvement,” Slone said. “It takes a rigorous and balanced look at all pillars of sustainability without leaning too heavily on one. Balance is the priority.”
The program offers certification for vineyards with plans to add certification for wineries in the future. Wineries may utilize the Sustainable WA logo on wine labels to signify the wine is made with certified grapes.
“Data shows the demand for sustainable products to be high,” said Steve Warner, president of the Washington State Wine Commission. “This program is imperative for the future of Washington wine not only to ensure healthy, productive vineyards and wineries for generations to come, but also to remain relevant in the global marketplace.”
Sustainable WA is two decades in the making. The Washington wine industry created an educational sustainability program called Vinewise\Winerywise over 20 years ago, to be intentionally scalable for certification. In 2019, an industry committee made up of 40+ Washington growers, vintners, and marketing professionals built upon the existing program to create Sustainable WA alongside leading sustainability consultant SureHarvest. This year, a small group of volunteer growers participated in a Beta test to provide feedback before full launch.
“Sustainability is part of our culture and our nature. It’s remarkable witnessing the past 20 years from educational tools to a statewide program,” said Vicky Scharlau, executive director of Washington Winegrowers. “Sustainable WA was built entirely for this industry and by this industry. We are excited for the full launch this summer.”
Sustainable WA is a collaboration between the Washington Winegrowers, the Washington State Wine Commission, the Washington Wine Industry Foundation and the Washington Wine Institute.
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US Foods to Open Fourth Foodservice Store
US Foods Holding Corp. will open a CHEF’STORE in Spartanburg, S.C. Located at 300 W. Blackstock Road, the 33,000-square-foot foodservice store will join three existing locations across South Carolina.
CHEF’STORE is a one-stop-shop for restaurant operators, food industry professionals, community groups and at-home chefs to stock up or replenish ingredients and supplies in various sizes and offerings. The store will offer more than 4,000 restaurant-quality products at competitive prices, including fresh meat, produce, dairy, deli items and frozen seafood. Customers will also be able to shop for baking ingredients, beverages, catering essentials, janitorial supplies and other restaurant essentials. CHEF’STORE is open to the public seven days a week and no membership is required.
The three existing locations are in Charleston, Myrtle Beach and Columbia. The new Spartanburg foodservice store is scheduled to open in Fall 2022.
US Foods acquired Smart Foodservice Warehouse stores in April 2020 to accelerate growth in the cash and carry market and rebranded all Smart Foodservice Warehouse stores to US Foods CHEF’STORE in February of 2021. With the addition of the Spartanburg location, US Foods will have 83 CHEF’STORE locations across the continental United States.
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Lifeway Foods Expands Humanitarian Efforts for Ukraine Relief
Lifeway bottle proceeds benefit Ukraine relief.
Lifeway Foods, U.S. supplier of kefir and fermented probiotic products to support the microbiome, continues to stand with the people of Ukraine by expanding humanitarian relief efforts to support those in need. Building on the company’s ongoing efforts, Lifeway will release a specially marked charity relief bottle with 100 percent of profits going toward humanitarian aid for Ukraine relief with a commitment of up to $1 million.
Lifeway has spearheaded several fundraisers, including the recent Chicago Chefs Cook for Ukraine presented by Lifeway, which raised $700,000 for World Central Kitchen, founded by Chef José Andrés. The fundraiser brought together 73 of Chicago’s top chefs for a tasting event to raise funds for Ukrainian relief. Lifeway is also currently working with the Consulate General of Ukraine in Chicago, US-Ukraine logistics companies, local European Consulates, as well as countless volunteers to get vital donations to Ukraine.
“Lifeway was founded with a mission to bring an ancient Slavic superfood, kefir, to the U.S. It afforded my family the opportunity to participate in the American dream, fulfill entrepreneurial aspirations and pursue basic human freedoms,” said CEO Julie Smolyansky, a former refugee from Kyiv. “We, as a company, are devoted and committed to supporting humanitarian efforts and providing aid for those in need, including relatives of Lifeway employees that have been directly impacted. The courage of the Ukrainian people is an inspiration to us all and we are proud to support those impacted as long as necessary to help recover and restore wholeness.”
As a staple product in Ukraine and one of Lifeway’s customer favorites, Lifeway’s Plain Whole Milk Kefir will be offered as a special charity relief item and is anticipated to be available beginning in June.
“We are grateful for our many retail and distribution partners for their enthusiastic response in bringing this special product to shelves across the United States and for their commitment to stand with the people of Ukraine,” said Smolyansky.
For further information on Lifeway’s efforts or to donate to Ukraine relief, please visit: https://lifewaykefir.com/ukraine.
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