Michele's Granola: A local favorite!

Written by C. Yao

After a New England summer spent chomping on freshly baked granola bars, Michele Tsucalas returned to Maryland and came to a terrible realization: she could not find any decent granola. So, she decided to try to make her own. In 2006, Tsucalas founded Michele’s Granola, based in Timonium. The granola is handmade in small batches from scratch. When you buy Michele’s granola you know it is fresh baked!

Michele’s Granola is something you can feel good about eating! It is 70% organic and uses local ingredients when possible. All granolas are gluten and dairy free, and most are vegan. Tsucalas wants her customers to eat something that is healthy and nutritious, but still tastes good!

Michele’s Granola is also Green! The bakery where the granola is made runs on wind power, certified by Green-e. Green-e is the most rigorous certification of renewable energy! Michele’s also recycles or composts 80% of its production materials and composts 100% of its food waste. The granola’s packaging is 100% recyclable, and the packing peanuts are biodegradable.

If all that goodness isn’t enough, Michele’s Granola also created a foundation called Give One for Good Food. 1% of proceeds from sales goes to organizations supporting a healthier and more equitable food system. Michele’s has donated $200,000 dollars so far, as well as employer-paid volunteer time. In 2017, Michele opened Give One for Good Food to other companies and organizations that want to make a difference.

 Michele’s Granola can be found in both the bulk and dry goods sections of the Co-Op. The Original flavor is in the bulk section, and there are often individual packages of the Almond Butter, Original, and Lemon Pistachio. Michele’s seasonal Pumpkin Spice has been seen on the Co-Op shelves as of late! The pecans with hints of cinnamon will delight your taste buds and make you really appreciate the wonderful season of fall!

The Bulk Brief: Equal Exchange

One of the best things about the Catonsville Co-Op is the bulk section. Members can get as much as they want of rice, oatmeal, lentils, Michelle's Granola, or a variety of other favorites! I wanted to highlight one of my favorite items in the bulk section: Equal Exchange Coffee. 

Equal Exchange started in the 1980s when a group of co-op managers from New England started meeting once a week to discuss how food could be better grown, sold, and bought. Nicaraguan Coffee was the first product Equal Exchange sold in 1986. By 1991, Equal Exchange was selling bins of their coffee beans to co-ops in different roasts and flavors. Today, Equal Exchange is one of the country's largest Co-Ops, with 130 worker-owners. 

Equal Exchange products are Fair Trade Certified, meaning that their products are made according to rigorous social, environmental, and economic standards.  People making Fair Trade Certified goods “work in safe conditions, protect the environment, build sustainable livelihoods, and earn additional money to empower and uplift their communities.”[1]

When you buy Equal Exchange, you are supporting another co-op, as well as Fair Trade Certified farms around the world. In addition to the bulk section, different Equal Exchange products are available through our membership with Frontier Co-Op.[2]

Why I Joined the CO-OP

I had learned about the Catonsville CO-OP a while ago but always was a bit confused about what exactly a co-op meant. Is it a grocery store? Then why is it only open one of two days a week? Do people work there? What does it mean to join?

One Saturday I decided to give the Catonsville CO-OP a try. I instantly fell in love! I realized I could get local goods at one place for an affordable price. I also was impressed with how environmentally friendly the co-op is. I can get all the foods I love while helping the earth! I joined that week as a Worker Equity Member. This meant I would volunteer 15 hours for a significantly reduced membership fee.

Posted on behalf of Christy Y.

Skill Share Festival

Join us for our 3rd Annual Skill Share Festival on Saturday, April 16, Noon – 4 pm at the United Immanuel Church of Christ (1905 Edmondson Ave). Attend workshops on permaculture, composting, beekeeping and fermentation, with mini-sessions on raising chickens, making homemade dog treats and using essential oils. Tickets are $10 for adults and kids are FREE. Learn more, including the workshop schedule, on the Skill Share Festival Facebook page.