Can you believe that we’re just a little over a month away from this year’s Blend Retreat? We can’t wait to be in beautiful Park City, Utah enjoying a weekend of fitness, fun and friendship with all of you. Some of us will be attending the retreat for the very first time and others are veterans having attended in 2013 and/or 2012. Regardless of if it’s your first, second or third time attending Blend, you’ll leave with some wonderful new friends and a collection of great memories.

We’re kicking off a series of posts about our fantastic sponsors and have some fun things to share (and some great giveaways) with all of you! This first post is all about our wonderful, generous OFFICIAL SPONSOR for Blend 2014: Silk! Many of you are probably familiar with Silk’s various products, but I bet there’s a few things that you didn’t know about the company.

Read our Q&A with Silk to find out some fun facts about the company’s history, products and what they have in store for Blend this year:

Q:  How long has Silk been around? Can you tell us a little bit about how and why you got started?
A:  Turn back the calendar a few decades to when our founder conceived the notion of starting a tofu company. Although soyfoods weren’t yet mainstream, we recognized early the health benefits of a plant-based diet. Even back then, Boulder, Colorado proved the perfect springboard for colossal leaps in thinking. Our big break came in 1978 when a supermarket chain signed on to carry our goods. Initially all things soy were parked in the produce section, where temperatures weren’t ideal. But before long, Silk soymilk—in plain, honey-sweetened and carob-maple flavors—migrated to the refrigerated case, right next to dairy milk. Looking back, you could say that moving our soymilk to the dairy case changed everything. Cold and ready-to-drink in familiar, milk-style cartons, Silk was now easier to find (and easier to love) than ever. Refrigerated soymilk quickly caught the attention of open-minded mainstream shoppers, while still delighting the loyal “tofu and granola” crowd that gave us our start. As folks around the country discovered the great feeling that comes with eating right, Silk became America’s #1 soymilk brand, welcomed in homes across the country.

Q:  What products does Silk specialize in?
A:  Today we offer a broad portfolio of nutritious, great-tasting plant-based options, including soymilk, almondmilk, coconutmilk and non-dairy yogurt alternatives.

Q:  What sets Silk apart from your competitors?
A:  For us, good taste and good nutrition are just the start. We believe in being a good neighbor, too. So we’ve always supported folks who share our values and want to change the world for the better. As Silk has grown, so has our definition of neighborhood, expanding to touch the communities in which we do business and the environment we all share.

From our commitment to renewable energy and resource preservation to our passion for the Non-GMO movement, we recognize that every business decision we make has a significant impact on people and the planet. In fact, Silk’s entire plant-based portfolio is enrolled in or verified by the Non-GMO Project, and Silk continues to offer three core organic products including Original, Vanilla and Unsweetened. As a brand committed to environmental sustainability, Silk conducted two studies—a “life cycle assessment” and a “water footprint assessment”—comparing the environmental impact of a half-gallon of Silk Original soymilk, almondmilk and coconutmilk to a typical half-gallon of conventional U.S. dairy milk. On average, producing a half-gallon of Silk Original requires less water and generates fewer greenhouse gases than a half-gallon of conventional U.S. dairy milk. In 2014, we will offset 100 percent of our manufacturing water footprint with water restoration certificates.

Q:  We are SO excited to have Silk at Blend Retreat. How will you be involved this year?
A:  We are thrilled to be the official sponsor of the 2014 Blend Retreat and look forward to meeting so many of our health-conscious bloggers! We’ll be sharing recipes and innovations in products – including our new Almond Coconut Blends and new Protein & Fiber Almondmilks.

Q:  We are excited to try your products at the retreat! But maybe we don’t want to wait…so tell us, where can we find your products for purchase?
A:  You can find Silk products at major retailers all across the U.S. as well as many mom and pop shops in your local neighborhood. Silk is also available at major retailers across Canada.

Q:  Is there anything else you would like to tell us about Silk?
A:  We are thrilled to be the official sponsor of Blend 2014! Our business is all about doing good for the community, the environment, and ourselves. We call this idea Values in Action (VIA) and it drives everything we do. We can’t wait to share our stories and products with everyone at Blend and encourage everyone to join us in our commitment to making the world a healthier place.

GIVEAWAY TIME

Silk wants to spread the love even BEFORE Blend starts!  Three lucky winners will receive a Silk Tumblr and 4 free product coupons!

To Enter:

• 1)  Leave a comment below and tell us what your favorite Silk product is (go here to learn about their product line!)
• 2)  Follow Silk on Twitter and tweet the following (leave a comment below telling us you tweeted):

Meet @LoveMySilk, the Official Sponsor of the 2014 @blendretreat and enter a super fun #giveaway!  http://wp.me/p2f2qi-jn #blend2014 #silk

• 3)  Share on another social media channel (leave a comment below telling us you shared)

This giveaway will end next Sunday night, May 4th – Winners will be emailed!  Best of luck, friends!

Janetha, Lauren & Lindsay