News for Charlotte, NC (Ballantyne)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AUGUST 27, 2007

Earth Fare Serves Up the “Best Dish in North Carolina”

Asheville, NC – Earth Fare Market and Café is the winner of the 2007 “Best Dish in North Carolina” annual competition, sponsored by the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and its Goodness Grows in North Carolina program. The competition was created to recognize and reward the efforts of restaurants and chefs who use North Carolina products regularly in their menus.

The dish that won Earth Fare this prestigious award was Carolina Chicken Roulade with Sweet Potato Salad & Sesame Kale made with local ingredient from Pine Knot Farms, Hurdle Mills, NC; Alison’s Family Farms in Troy, NC; The Goat Lady, Climax, NC; Latta Farms, Hillsborough, NC; Black River Organic Farm, Ivanhoe, NC; Timberwood Organics, Efland, NC; and Sunburst Tomatoes, Nashville, NC.

Mitch Orland, Earth Fare’s food service director and executive chef, along with the assistance of Stewart Moore, food service specialist, created the unique recipes for the award winning dish. “The inspiration for this dish is traditional Southern but with an haute cuisine twist,” says Orland. “It was crafted to add creative flavor to fresh, local ingredients and allow them be the true standouts of the dish.”

Earth Fare Market and Café competed against several larger chain restaurants across the state for the title of “Best Dish in North Carolina.” Entries were judged based on the featured dishes’ use of North Carolina products and ingredients, creativity, feature and promotion of the dishes, presentation, and of course, taste. “Given that we were the only supermarket retailer in the competition, it’s a huge honor to compete and win against larger, chain restaurants.”

The “Best Dish in North Carolina” award will be presented October 17, 2007 during the Paula Dean Show in Dorton Arena at the North Carolina State Fair in Raleigh. Representatives from Earth Fare will be present to serve up samples of the “best dish” and accept this year’s award. “It is a wonderful opportunity for Earth Fare to showcase how local, natural and organic products are just as delicious and fresh as those purchased elsewhere.”

Earth Fare Market and Café was founded in Asheville, North Carolina in 1975 and has grown into a premier chain of natural and organic markets located in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee. All Earth Fare stores provide customers with real food that tastes better – fresh, locally grown organic produce, artisan products such as raw milk cheeses and specialty wines, scratch-baked breads and pastries, as well as antibiotic and hormone-free meats and poultry, and sustainably harvested seafood.

Join Earth Fare at Charlotte's 1st Annual Dogswalk Against Cancer, benefiting the American Cancer Society.

Dogswalk Against Cancer is a non-competitive walk-a-thon (almost 1 1/2 mile fun walk) that raises awareness and funds for the fight against human and animal cancers. Join the American Cancer Society and many dog lovers for this fun-filled event.

Dogswalk Against Cancer 2007–Fighting Human and Animal Cancers will be held on Saturday, June 9. The walk will begin at Metro Paws in Southend then stop at Canine Cafe Charlotte for some fun activities. The walk will then continue back to Metro Paws for the after party. Registration is 8:00 AM and the walk starts at 9:00 AM. For more information visit www.acsevents.org/dogswalk.

Look for the Earth Fare tent, where we will be sampling healthy and nutritious snacks for all dogs walking and their loyal owners!

Charlotte, NC–Do you have what it takes to bring your grilling out of the backyard and into the spotlight? Is your special sauce more of a secret weapon than a condiment? If you answered yes to these questions, then we are looking for you! Earth Fare Market and Café is hosting its first ever, all natural grill-off on June 30, 2007.

We need talented people to participate in a pre-qualifier prior to the June 30 competition. All interested parties are required to drop off their prepared entry on June 15 by 1:00 PM , at Earth Fare, 12235 North Community House Road. Each entry must be accompanied by a completed entry form. Earth Fare judges will select 5 entries for the final competition based on a 1-10 scale; 1- not for me and 10- Sensational.

The 5 pre-qualifying winners will be announced on June 16. If you are not present at time of the announcement, you will be contacted if your entry has been selected. All recipes must be original and adhere to Earth Fare's Food Philosophy – food tastes best when in a natural state; this means no artificial preservatives, flavors, colors or sweeteners. Please see official entry form for a complete list of banned ingredients and competition rules/guidelines.

Make sure your entry is mouthwatering as it will be savored (scrutinized) for a place in our June 30 grill-off event. The winner of our June 30, Pre-4th of July Grill-Off Competition takes home $500 cash. Second place will receive a "Get Grillin'" basket chocked full of essential grilling tools and ingredients, valued at $100. For more information on this event or to recieve an on line entry form, please contact Genie O’Shaughnessy at 704-926-1201 or genie.o’shaughnessy@earthfare.com.

Relax and let us do the cooking. Our Deli features delicious Holiday classics including complete heat and serve meals. Choose a local All Natural Turkey or a Vegetarian Roast paired with stuffing, cranberry relish and gravy; enough to feed up to eight people! Additional gourmet sides are also available in our deli. Stop by today and sample some of these delectable Holiday inspired dishes.

Asheville, N.C., October 6, 2006 – New York City’s recent declaration to drastically reduce the amount of trans fats in food prepared by the city’s restaurants received kudos and “at a boys” from health experts all the way from Yale to the University of Alabama in Birmingham. The City and its Department of Health are being toted as “thought-leaders” in issues concerning health. However, Earth Fare, a burgeoning natural and organic foods supermarket located in the Southeast, beat them to the punch – about 13 years ago! “When Earth Fare reexamined its food philosophy and clarified its definition of natural in 1993, trans fats didn’t make the cut and have been banned from our shelves ever since,” says Troy DeGroff, director of sales and marketing for Earth Fare. “We were looking out for our customers’ health and well being long before others decided to jump on the band wagon.” Trans fats, also known as trans fatty acids, are made through an unnatural process called hydrogenation that converts liquid oils into solid fats. While increasing the shelf life of products such as margarine, cookies, chips, crackers, and fast food, trans fats do not increase the shelf life of humans – in fact, it’s just the opposite. According to recent studies published by the Institute of Medicine, National Academies of Science (IOM/NAS), trans fats lower good cholesterol (HDL) and raise bad cholesterol (LDL), which is a significant contributor to heart disease. Studies also show that consuming just five grams of trans fats a day over many years boosts the risk of heart disease by 25 per cent. It’s estimated that in the U.S., up to 50,000 premature, heart related deaths can be linked to the consumption of trans fats. Fortunately, there are safer and equally affordable alternatives to trans fats. Whole and flavorful monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats like olive oil and canola oil, nut oils made from peanuts, hazelnuts or walnuts, as well as flavor and vitamin rich butter. Earth Fare features foods made with these types of oils and healthy fats. “We have always been aware that the unnatural processing of foods not only destroys natural flavor, but it also destroys people’s bodies," says DeGroff. “And, if good health isn’t enough of a motivator for you, think about it in terms of taste. Which would you rather eat, a spoonful of shortening or a spoonful of real butter? It really is an easy decision.” So, while New York and all the others try to catch up, Earth Fare will continue to offer a trans fat-free shopping and dinning experience for its customers. From the shelves and freezers, to the bakery and café, customers don’t have to worry about reading the labels to know they are getting the most natural products around. Today, Earth Fare has grown into a premier chain of natural foods supermarkets located in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee. All Earth Fare supermarkets provide customers with real food that tastes better. For more information regarding Earth Fare, please visit www.earthfare.com or call the corporate offices at 828-281-4800.

Asheville, N.C., September 15, 2006–Earth Fare is excited to announce a partnership with Alison’s Family Farms, a North Carolina farm located approximately 35 miles southeast of Charlotte in Marshville. Alison’s chicken is All Natural (no growth hormones or antibiotics, ever), free-range (allowed to roam outside in the fresh air), raised on an all-vegetable diet feed (no animal by-products), and "Certified Humane Raised and Handled" by the Humane Farm Animal Care Program. Alison’s Family Farms chicken is Air-Chilled, a process by which each bird is individually chilled by air, not water, thereby producing a more flavorful bird since there is no water or by-products absorbed.
All 13 Earth Fare stores will feature Alison’s chicken in the meat department by the end of September. “The decision to carry Alison’s was an easy one,” says Chris Griffith, Earth Fare’s meat and seafood category manager. “Alison’s is a great local farm that raises high quality birds in a humane environment. We couldn’t ask for a better product to offer our customers.”
This partnership with Alison's Family Farms is just another way that Earth Fare continues to lead the way in supporting local farmers and sustainable business practices. "Our commitment to providing local products meets the customers' desire for freshness and quality. It also lets them know exactly where their food came from, and many times, who the farmer was that tended the crops or the animals," says Troy DeGroff, Director of Sales and Marketing at Earth Fare.
Bruce Cuddy, Alison’s Family Farms' president, owner, and resident hands-on farmer takes extra measures to guarantee the birds have a good life on the farm. "Our flocks receive fresh air and sunlight, have the ability to walk around outside, and are raised in a low stress environment,” says Cuddy. “They aren't filled with antibiotics or pumped full of water and because we raise them from conception forward, we know that our birds will always be the best.”
Today, Earth Fare has grown into a premier chain of natural foods supermarkets located in N.C., S.C., G.A., and T.N. All Earth Fare supermarkets provide customers with real food that tastes better. For more information regarding Earth Fare, please visit www.earthfare.com or call the corporate offices at 828-281-4800.

Earth Fare's growing Culinary Education Series, will expand to include on the floor culinary events & demonstrations. Since it's inception in September 2005, the free Culinary Education Series has been a very popular program for customers of all ages. Earth Fare's new Culinary Specialist, Chef Rocco Faiello, will bring cooking instruction, food tastings and culinary events out of the classroom and on to the main sales floor. He will also continue the free culinary classes on Thursday evenings which are scheduled from 6:00-7:00PM.

Rocco's culinary classes and on floor demonstrations will feature all natural, organic and gourmet foods. He will teach innovative recipes and culinary techniques, as well as offer creative cooking demonstrations and palate pleasing food tastings. Earth Fare customers will learn the skills to cook for family and friends or create more elaborate multi-course meals. The culinary events will focus on local, regional and international cuisine, while always using the freshest quality ingredients possible. Whether he is BBQ'ing on the patio, cooking in the classroom or offering on the floor culinary instruction, Chef Rocco's innovation will put you at ease with any recipe!

Chef Rocco Faiello brings to Earth Fare, A wealth of inviting Culinary knowledge. He graduated Culinary School in 2003 from CFCC in Wilmington, NC, and has trained in some of the greatest 4-Diamond establishments the Southeast has to offer. His focus is on the utilization of Fresh Seasonal Ingredients, "When you have great ingredients,the work of the dish is already done." His diverse education and training offers our customers a wealth of knowledge.
A complete listing of events is available at www.earthfare.com or stop by the store for a printed calendar. All classes and demonstrations are free of charge and open to the community.