ABOUT US
Green Goddess Natural Foods is owned and operated by Tammy Loewy and Wynde Kate Reese. The two women met in 2001, while cooking at The Cliffhanger Café in Keene Valley. They instantly became friends and envisioned themselves one day having a food service business together. In the spring of 2004 they started Green Goddess Foods and began selling vegetarian prepared foods at the Lake Placid Farmer’s Market. Their intention was to provide ideas for healthy meals using ingredients from the farmer’s market.
Some of their first recipes included Market Pizza, Market Sandwiches, seasonal soups such as Gazpacho and Butternut squash, fresh juices and smoothies, and their signature items, of which they are still famous, Spring Rolls and Heavenly Hummus. They instantly had a following and expanded to include Elizabethtown, Keene Valley and Troy farmer’s markets, wholesaling to local establishments, and catering. However, they dreamed of one day having a place of their own…
In October of 2007, Tammy and Wynde Kate purchased Bean’s Goods, from Sabine Weber, and changed the name to Green Goddess Natural Foods. Their intention is to provide healthy, organic products at affordable prices to the local and seasonal consumers.
Wynde Kate
Tammy Loewy
Tammy Loewy became a vegetarian her sophomore year of college. It was part rebellion, part diet fad and part love for the animals. Little did she know it was the building block for a life change towards better, happier, more responsible eating. After graduating college with a bachelor’s in Psychology Tammy started working in the food industry. She had the great opportunity to cook at an outstanding vegetarian restaurant in Albany – Shades of Green. It was there that she became aware of all the possibilities of Vegetarian cuisine and where she met her future husband, Nick. When they moved to the Adirondacks in 1997, Tammy knew the only place she wanted to work was Nori’s, the natural food store in Saranc Lake. There she gained a vast amount of knowledge about healthy eating and living. She working there for 5 years on and off. In between she worked and managed the Cliffhanger Café, a vegetarian restaurant in Keene Valley. “The opportunity to own Green Goddess Natural Foods is a perfect fit for all the talents I had amassed. I am thrilled to be a part of an industry that respects quality of life through well eating. I hope to bring this enthusiasm to Green Goddess Natural Foods everyday.” Tammy and Nick live in Keene with their daughter, Zarela.
Cathy Gorbenko
Cathy Gorbenko grew up in New York City, in an environment where health was of utmost importance. Her mother was a ballet teacher, and her father a sports enthusiast. Cathy married at age 20, and graduated college with a Bachelor’s in Art. She worked in the field briefly, then had her two children and was a stay at home mom. Her personal journey toward health began when her husband was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. She studied every book on natural therapies and started a whole new way of living healthy. Her husband joined her in this journey, but sadly, passed away after putting forth a valiant effort at fighting the disease. In order to support her children, she took on a job at her local health food store. During that 5 year time period, she started to treat herself and her children holistically. Eventually, she moved to a larger store, and learned even more through their continuing education programs. Three years later she moved from New Jersey to Lake Placid. Along the way, she started volunteering and working with Ann Louise Gittleman PhD, CNS, who has written many books about health and weight loss. For the past 2½ years, Cathy has been a moderator on her forum, and dispenses advice and guidance under Ann Louise’s supervision. She has detoxed, lost weight and stayed healthy and loves to help others to find health and happiness in their life.
Kim Scarpa
Kim Scarpa has always loved to cook. As soon as she was old enough to use the oven, she started baking. When Kim was 14, she looked into the eyes of a cow and thought, “I can’t eat you.” So she gave up eating meat. In high school, Kim was very involved in the culinary arts program, and decided to pursue a career in that field. She knew she didn’t want to cook meat, so Kim decided to become a pastry chef. She graduated from Paul Smiths in 2000, with a degree in Culinary Arts and has worked in several restaurants in Lake Placid, as well as in New Hampshire and Tennessee. When Kim went to her first Lake Placid farmers market, she was excited to find Green Goddess Foods; a place to get a delicious vegetarian meal. After the first bite, she looked at her friend and said, “I am going to work for them one day.” Three years later, here she is, and it is her dream job. “I am able to make organic desserts, and I am also able to cook vegetarian food using local and organic products. For me, it is a perfect balance of being able to use all my skills and talents, as well as challenge myself to try new things and learn.”
Green Goddess Foods
183 Newman Road
Lake Placid, NY 12946
518-523-4676
