There are lots of new sweets in the bulk aisle this month. We’ve got vegan chocolate covered almonds, yogurt covered pretzels, Queen Bee Pollen Drops (made with pollen and sweetened solely with honey,) and Rapadura sugar, which is said to be the least processed sugar available.

Returning bulk sweets are Glenny’s C Pops, which provide the USRDA full day’s supply of vitamin C and have no added sugar, and Mitoku Macrobiotic Sweet Rice Drops, which are sweetened with rice syrup. Another bulk product returning to our shelves is Hominy Grits.

Over on the grocery shelves we now are selling agave nectar as a sweetener. Agave is a succulent that is native to Mexico. It is said to be 25% sweeter than sugar. Also new on the grocery shelves are Dijon-style and fat-free Nayonaise, Miss Mary’s Oatmeal, a product that comes to us from western New York, and a product that comes from even nearer by: Deeber’s Baked Pita Chips, which are made across the river in Rensselaer.

The freezer/cooler is where you’ll find some of the more interesting new products this month. We’ve got several very authentic looking vegetarian meat or fish substitutes — Vegetarian Prawns, Beef Chunks, and Chicken Nuggets — all imported from China. Also new is the Southwest Sunshine Burger, a spicy variation on the traditional favorite, the Sunshine Burger, so-called as it’s made mostly from sunflower seeds. We’ve also got single-serve juice blends from Naked in the cooler. We’ve carried their quarts in the freezer for some time, but this is the first time we’ve had their fresh juice blends.

The biggest bunch of new products this month are in the HaBA area. One of the most exciting new products are a line of truly organic shampoos from Aubrey. Unlike many so-called organic shampoos that are made largely from what’s basically the leftover water that organic flowers were soaked or boiled in, these Aloe Essence Shampoos from Aubrey are truly organic, and don’t contain any methyl or propyl paraben. Also new from Aubrey is Aubrey’s Vegecol Facial Care line for sensitive skin. The line includes a moisturizer, toner, and cleanser. All are made with organic aloe.

Another truly organic product is Dr. Bronner’s soap. This whole line is being reformulated to be organic.

We’re now carrying a line of beeswax candles made in Canastota by a company called The Beeman, as well as a salve called Crack Care, which is meant for fingers, lips, heels, and burns, and was formulated by a dentist.

Also new is Rhodiola from Nature’s Way, Supercritical Feverfew (for headaches) from New Chapter, Zand’s Quick Digest, which comes in a handy, pocket-sized roll, PerioRub from Nature’s Answer (a soothing gel for tooth and gum discomfort), Guggul, a cholesterol-lowering ayurvedic herb from Solaray, and Health from the Sun’s Ultra Omega Fish Oil, which is tested and guaranteed to contain no PCBs.