KOL Foods on NPR's Marketplace

The story is "about two young business-owners — one Muslim and one Jewish (Devora Kimelman-Block of KOL Foods) — who are raising the ethical standards of halal and kosher food."

Click here to hear the story.

Please if you can, write a quick comment and share the story, its important that we give positive feedback when uplifting news items are run. Many people were really touched to see a Jew and Muslim working together.

Cleanliness and Godliness

Here is a great article from Slate which answers the question: "Are kosher and halal meats better for your health or for the planet than regular meat?" I have read many many articles on this subject (I speak on it a lot) and this is the first that doesn't really get anything wrong. It is a complex subject with a lot of baggage and assumptions, but author Nina Shen Rastogi has done her research. It is definitely worth the read.

Health Care Reform - What you can do

I know that this is a bit off topic, but it is so important that it deserves some blog space.


We have about a 50/50 chance of getting comprehensive national health reform, according to friends who are working this issue on the Hill.

Critically important right now is for Democratic Senators and representatives to hear from as many constituents as possible demanding major, comprehensive health reform that covers 30 million uninsured, along the lines already passed by the Senate and the House. Please call, and please pass on this message to as many people as possible. It doesn't matter where they fall on the political spectrum, from progressive to paleolithic. They need to hear from you.

Email is not the way to go right now. Phone calls are taken much more seriously. Here's what's at stake. If Congress passes the Senate bill, with or without modifications, the following will take place:

-30 million or more uninsured will obtain health coverage, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Medicaid will see by far its largest expansion since its creation in 1965. And low-wage, uninsured workers who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but too little to afford insurance will receive subsidies to help them buy coverage.

• Insurance companies will be barred from discriminating on the basis of health condition or gender. Preexisting conditions will no longer be excluded from coverage.
• The so-called "donut hole" in Medicare coverage of prescription drugs will be cut by slightly more than 50%. Many seniors will no longer be forced to choose between medicine and food. 
• If Congress does not pass some version of the Senate bill, they are likely to enact something small and symbolic. Tens of millions of low-income Americans without coverage would remain denied the basic access to health care that insurance provides. 

The Senate bill is far from perfect. The same is true of the House bill. Each of us could imagine a health reform proposal that we would strongly prefer to any option on the table right now. But what is balanced on the knife's edge in Congress is legislation that would have an enormous and positive impact on tens of millions of people. If it does not pass, it will be a long time before this opportunity comes again, and in the meantime, tremendous suffering will take place, suffering that we can now prevent by taking strong action.

This week will decide the issue. Please do whatever you can to reach out to your Senators and members of Congress and encourage everyone you know to do likewise.


Good luck to us all!

States ban practices that support CAFOs

From the Union of Concerned Scientists...


Several states recently banned specific practices that are common in CAFOs (confined animal feeding operations), taking small steps to level the playing field for more sustainable farms. California outlawed the amputation of dairy cows' tails, and Michigan passed a law phasing out restrictive crates for veal calves and pregnant sows, and tiny "battery" cages for egg-laying chickens, used to pack many animals together in a small space. Arizona, California, Florida, Maine, Colorado, and Oregon had previously acted to ban crates and battery cages, which, along with tail docking, are unnecessary practices that serve only to make large, polluting CAFOs viable. Meanwhile, examples abound of farmers successfully working with nature rather than against it to produce animal products without the problems associated with CAFOs. Listen to this recent National Public Radio story about one Ohio dairyman's efforts to transform the industry and produce fresher, more flavorful milk from cows on pasture.

Cargill in trouble again

Fresno-based Beef Packers, Inc (owned by Cargill) had a huge recall this summer due to tainted meat and amazingly, it is still selling to the governmental school lunch program! For the second time in a year, the company recalled thousands of pounds of ground beef that were contaminated by antibiotic-resistant Salmonella bacteria. It recalled 826,000 pounds of beef last summer after people in 11 states grew ill and now is recalling 23,000 pounds linked to a new outbreak. The Salmonella contaminating the beef was resistant to multiple antibiotics, including cephalosporins, which are very valuable in human medicine.Read more about the recall from USA Today.

Work for KOL Foods! Sales and Operations Manager

KOL Foods, LLC puts kosher meat and ethics on the same plate so consumers can feel good about the meat they eat. KOL Foods sources and sells grass-fed, non-industrial, healthy lamb and beef and pastured poultry directly to individuals. Since its foundation in 2007, the interest in KOL Foods’ products has grown rapidly, and, consequently, they are now available in the East Coast and the Midwest primarily through our website. As demand is increasing KOL Foods is seeking to expand in the Eastern United States and, in the near future, nationwide.

KOL Foods is unique as it operates differently from industrial kosher meat businesses. As a values-based business, our mission is to produce food that is in harmony with nature, neighbors and tradition – all the way from farm to fork. For further information on KOL Foods, please go to: www.kolfoods.com .

KOL Foods is seeking a dynamic, results-oriented Sales and Operations Manager who will be responsible for leading sales, customer service and fulfillment as well as supply chain management. This exciting opportunity requires a generalist with experience in hands-on business development in the food industry. The Sales and Operations Manager will report to the CEO/Founder.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Deliver sales of our premium products by confidently, enthusiastically and passionately educating current and prospective clients about the exceptional value of our beef, lamb and poultry products.
• Manage the day-to-day operations including movement of goods into and out of production facilities as well as shipping operations.
• Drive sales through exceptional customer service from initial contact through repeat orders.
• Develop a database of qualified leads through referrals, B2B direct sales, direct mail, email, networking, and participation in educational events.
• In partnership with the CEO/Founder, play a key role in the development of KOL Foods’ long-term growth strategy, including strengthening our infrastructure and product excellence.
• Monitor production facilities and agencies to ensure that they efficiently and consistently provide needed services while staying within budgetary limits.
• Partner with the CEO/Founder and Bookkeeper to develop and implement a system to conduct data-based, continual analysis, evaluation and reporting of strategic information (revenue, product mix, margins, inventory, freight cost, cost of production facilities, and supply).
• Partner with the CEO/Founder to develop product marketing strategies including advertising campaigns.
• Lead the implementation of the marketing strategy and sales promotions based on knowledge of KOL Foods’ competitive advantage, market and product characteristics, and cost and markup factors.
• Partner with the CEO/Founder to manage pricing models, balancing exceptional quality, costs, and customer satisfaction.
• Supervise interns when needed.

KEY REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor’s Degree
• 3-5 years of sales and operations experience.
• Food industry experience preferred. Experience with kosher food products a plus.
• A strong track record of successful new business development.
• Outstanding interpersonal and influencing skills.
• Customer focused, responsive, timely and accurate in follow-through.
• Excellent in project management.
• Analytical, fast learning with excellent judgment.
• Knowledge of social media platforms.
• Well organized, flexible, hands-on and results-oriented.
• Knowledgeable of the sustainable food movement.
• High integrity.
• Outstanding ability to prioritize and handle multiple projects simultaneously.
• Understanding of kashrut.
• Outstanding proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite with special emphasis on Word and Excel.
• Residing in the Washington/Baltimore area is preferred. NYC residents will be considered.
• Willingness to travel - estimated 10-20%.

There are many great benefits to a career at KOL Foods. As a start-up company with proven growth, a strong brand and high potential, KOL Foods offers a competitive salary and benefits, including an annual bonus. Join the team of our excellent, values based, growth company. Feel good about your work and become part of our success.

Qualified candidates are encouraged to apply by submitting a cover letter, including salary requirements, and resume to: info@kolfoods.com. KOL Foods requires background checks, computer literacy tests, and writing samples for this position.

KOL Foods is an equal opportunity employer.

A cow's life doesn't matter, only its death?

Jennie Yabroff of Newsweek just wrote an article called "No More Sacred Cows" about  vegetarians who are now eating grass-fed meat without guilt.

Yabroff, however, seems to think that the manner in which a cow lives doesn’t matter. How could a cow living in a feedlot, standing or laying in sewage all day, and eating a feed that makes it sick be the same as a grass-fed cow living its life doing what cows have always done? A cow that is treated as a cog in a machine vs. a cow that is living a cow’s life. The manner in which an animal lives does not become irrelevant because it is finally slaughtered. I sell kosher, grass-fed beef, lamb and poultry because animal’s lives (as well as the environment and my health – also much better grass-fed) are huge, important factors in our ethics.  Let’s not belittle a cow’s life and focus only on its death. www.kolfoods.com.