Sign in Subscribe

Mike Houston

Mike is the General Manager at the TPSS Co-op in Takoma Park, MD. He hates cilantro.

Newtopia Now 2026 Recap

Newtopia Now 2026 Recap

On Tuesday night, at the Rockies-Dodgers game in Denver, designated hitter Shohei Ohtani pounded a towering home run to straightaway center field. The crowd roared as the burly Dodger rounded the bases. But Shohei wasn't the only one who knocked it out of the park this week.

The Era of Localwashing Is Here

The Era of Localwashing Is Here

I’ve been wanting to write about this concept for a while, but something finally pushed me over the edge. The term ‘local’ as it relates to food has been adopted by every grocery chain, restaurant, food truck, and cafeteria salad vending machine in the country it seems. But this

Organic Produce Summit Recap

Organic Produce Summit Recap

Retailers, growers, wholesalers and more flocked to beautiful Monterey, CA on a sunny week in July for the 10th annual Organic Produce Summit. The conference is located strategically nearby California's Salinas Valley, known as America's Salad Bowl. The three day conference offered networking, educational opportunities and

CCMA Is Magic

CCMA Is Magic

(Or Why I was 2 hours late to dinner) I got the chicken fajitas. Eventually that is. On day one of CCMA, the breakout sessions ended for the day at 5pm. After drafting and posting the daily conference recap, the Garlic and Roses crew walked over to the rotunda where

The Best Is Yet Tacoma: How CCMA is Run

The Best Is Yet Tacoma: How CCMA is Run

“It's such a beautiful community of people. It is really energizing to be in the space, and it feels really good to be part of that, and to be trusted to steward this conference on behalf of the food co-op community.” Courtney Berner, Executive Director of the

Socialism Has a Branding Problem. Co-ops Can Help

Socialism Has a Branding Problem. Co-ops Can Help

“Congress denounces socialism in all its forms, and opposes the implementation of socialist policies in the United States.” -House Resolution 58, November 2025 The term ‘socialism’ has always been fraught in America. For older generations, there are links to the former Soviet Union and lingering tensions from the Cold War.

Expo West Recap

Expo West Recap

Expo West has been described as the 'Super Bowl' of the natural foods industry. The comparison may be apt in a number of ways. 70,000 attended the 2026 Super Bowl at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara, while 66,000 vendors, buyers and industry professionals gathered at the