The Incredible Bulk

Chunks of Energy are a great idea. Great ideas are simply creative fodder—nothing more, nothing less. They synergize and scatter about in brain-space until they are expressed in some way, shape, or form. The union of unfettered idealism with realizable practicality is necessary for fodder to be fertilized, cultivated, and harvested. Chunks of Energy are offspring of this partnership of ideals and reality. The ideal is that good food should be good for taste buds, tree buds, greenbacks, backpacking, packing light, and treading lightly. The reality is that we practice this ideal with integrity: the contents are honest, and the form of offering the product is true to the wisdom that “one needs chaos in the soul to give birth to a dancing star” (thanks for that, Nietzsche). The chaos is the struggle of wanting to do good by what we have, and the dancing star is the practical and joyful application of that struggle.

Dancing Star offers Chunks of Energy in bulk food bins because that way of buying food is an enjoyable practice in conscientious consumption. It is practical because of the price—or lack thereof—that reflects the true cost of the product itself, instead of being tainted with labels, packaging, and making a hierarchy of shelf space. It is enjoyable because a kitchen filled with jars of beans, grains, nuts, and seeds is quite pleasing to the eye. Ten pounds of Chunks of Energy come preserved in one (potentially-reusable, and definitely recyclable) cardboard box and one plastic bag. Picture ten pounds worth of energy bars or granola bars, which weigh in at an ounce or two each. That is a lot of stuff to throw away!

I keep Chunks of Energy in a mason jar in my refrigerator and they are always fresh and grabable. When I get to the end of the jar, I use the crumbles on top of toast spread with tahini. Delicious. I have the distinct advantage of nearly unlimited Chunks of Energy from my dad, so I don’t buy them in a store. For the bulk goods that I do purchase, I bring the jars or bottles that I store them in with me to the shop for refilling. If your bulk-food provider doesn’t allow you to tare your container, why don't you suggest doing so? Some states don’t allow that practice because of germ-spreading potential, but you could probably reuse the plastic bags that you use to transport goods from store to jar.

How satisfying to have no more or no less of what we need. Enough is enough! Best wishes officiating the marriage of reality and ideals.