The Bisbee Food Co-op

07/16/2026

07/15/2026

Explore berries! 🍓🫐🍇 They are among the top sources of vitamins, minerals, and disease-fighting nutrients, and they can help reduce the risk of many age-related conditions, according to experts.

1. Red Currant (Ribes rubrum): good source of dietary fibre and may help improve digestive health. Being full of vitamin C, which not only supports a healthy immune system, it produces and maintains collagen, essential for healthy hair and skin. Redcurrants are a good source of iron, which is essential for forming red blood cells.

2. White Currant (Ribes rubrum): Treatment for diarrhoea (as a result of their astringent components) Boosts brain health.Boosts hydration.Strengthens immunity. Promotes cardiovascular health detoxification.

3. Strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa): Antioxidants in strawberries, including vitamin C, can support your immune system and may lower your chances of getting sick when you're around germs. They may also help curb inflammation, manage your blood sugar, and guard against health conditions.

4. Loganberry (Rubus × loganobaccus): Loganberries are an excellent source of manganese, an essential nutrient for the body, and vitamin C. They are a good source of pantothenic acid or vitamin B5, iron, folate, vitamins E and K, and essential B-vitamins thiamin and riboflavin.

5. Boysenberry (Rubus ursinus × idaeus): Anthocyanins – boysenberries contain high levels of anthocyanins and current research has linked anthocyanins to improved eyesight, reducing inflammation, protection from cardiovascular disease and from the effects of ageing.

6. Silvanberry (Rubus fruticosus): Also known as wild blackberries, Boosts your body functions. Blackberries are an excellent source of vitamin C, vitamin K and manganese. Improves digestion and blood sugar levels. Reduces inflammation. Prevents cardiovascular disease. Protects and improves brain function.

7. Raspberry (Rubus idaeus): Raspberries are high in antioxidants that can protect cells from damage by free radicals. Free radicals are unstable atoms that injure your cells as they try to stabilize. The damage they cause may play a role in the aging process, arthritis, cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, and many other conditions.

8. White Alpine Strawberry (Fragaria vesca): Having a good amount of vitamin C and manganese, the fruit is considered an excellent source of antioxidant that is crucial to boosting the immune system.

9. Youngberry (Rubus ursinus): Youngberries help enhance eyesight, promote digestion, and build stronger bones and teeth. 100g of youngberries contains the following: Vitamin A – 4% of DV. Vitamin C – 35% of DV.

10. Tayberry (Rubus fruticosus × idaeus): Tayberries are a good source of vitamin C, which is essential for immune function and skin health. High in dietary fiber, tayberries contribute to digestive health and may help regulate blood sugar levels. Berries, including tayberries, are rich in antioxidants like anthocyanins, quercetin, and ellagic acid

11. Marionberry (Rubus ursinus): Marionberries, Boysenberries, Loganberries and other blackberries are high in gallic acid, rutin and ellagic acid, a known chemopreventative, with anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties. With their dark blue color, blackberries have one of the highest antioxidant levels of fruits regularly tested.

12. Gooseberry (Ribes uva-crispa): These include lower blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure levels, as well as a reduced risk of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and age-related illnesses of the brain. Gooseberries are a wonderful, healthy fruit to include in your diet as a snack or flavorful addition to meals.

13. Black Currant (Ribes nigrum): Blackcurrants have more than three times the vitamin C of oranges and anthocyanin levels second only to some types of blueberry. These anthocyanins can help fight against cardiovascular disease, ageing, joint inflammation, eyestrain8.
These berries are high in Vitamin C and Antioxidants and have been proven to reduce risk of chronic diseases.

14. (Same as blackberry)

15. Jostaberry These berries are high in Vitamin C and Antioxidants and have been proven to reduce risk of chronic diseases.

🍓🌿

Enjoy exploring these delightful fruits!

Image credit: Kira Zubrinich

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07/15/2026

Most people hear a pileated woodpecker for years before they see one. The hammering sounds like someone beating a dead tree with a bat.

Then she lands on a trunk ten feet away — and the reaction is always the same.

She's the size of a crow. Every other woodpecker at the feeder fits in your hand. Your brain builds a template from downies and hairies: woodpecker equals small. The pileated breaks the template.

The rectangular holes in dead trees are hers. No other woodpecker cuts that shape. And the cavity she drills for nesting becomes the most competed-over address in the woods after she leaves — species that can't excavate their own depend on the ones she abandons.

The dead tree she's working on is the most productive thing in the yard 🌿

07/15/2026

Who knew?

Most people hear a pileated woodpecker for years before they see one. The hammering sounds like someone beating a dead tree with a bat.

Then she lands on a trunk ten feet away — and the reaction is always the same.

She's the size of a crow. Every other woodpecker at the feeder fits in your hand. Your brain builds a template from downies and hairies: woodpecker equals small. The pileated breaks the template.

The rectangular holes in dead trees are hers. No other woodpecker cuts that shape. And the cavity she drills for nesting becomes the most competed-over address in the woods after she leaves — species that can't excavate their own depend on the ones she abandons.

The dead tree she's working on is the most productive thing in the yard 🌿

05/21/2026

Most people who find a turtle in their garden or backyard have no idea whether they are looking at a male or a female. These three differences are visible in seconds with no equipment. 🐢

The three reliable identifiers:

① The plastron (underside shell): males have a concave (curved inward) plastron — this allows them to mount the female during mating. Females have a flat plastron. Pick up the turtle gently and look underneath.

② The tail: males have significantly longer, thicker tails with the cloaca (opening) positioned further from the body. Female tails are short and stubby with the cloaca close to the shell edge.

③ The supracaudal plate (rear shell plate): males have a notched or concave rear plate. Females have a rounded, smooth rear plate.

These differences apply to most common American turtle species — painted turtles, box turtles, and red-eared sliders.

If you find a turtle in your garden — it is almost certainly harmless and doing useful work eating slugs and insects. Leave it where it is.

05/21/2026

Eta Aquariid Meteor Shower Peaks Tonight! ☄️

Tonight, the Eta Aquariid meteor shower will peak, filling the sky with bright, fast-moving meteors—one of the most beautiful displays of the year.

After midnight and into the early morning, you might spot up to 50 meteors every hour, each one a glowing streak born from ancient comet dust racing through our atmosphere at breathtaking speeds.

🌌 Viewing tips:
• Find a dark spot away from city lights
• Look toward the eastern horizon
• Give your eyes 15–20 minutes to adjust
• No telescope needed, just your eyes

Tag someone you’d watch this with! Don’t miss this breathtaking celestial event! ✨

05/21/2026

☕🍄