Tales of Tofu Town

Date and Time

• Monday, Mar 30, 2026  5:30pm - 7:30pm

Location

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Details

From tea to tofu, the business of counter-culture inspired food shaped Boulder’s food industry along with much of the world’s. Hear from some of the leading figures whose natural food entrepreneurship created the leading brands in the industry.

Panelists:

In 1976, Sheldon Romer, opened Rudi’s Organic Bakery, a small bakery named after Rudi Swami Rudrananda, a 20th century spiritual leader.

Mark Retzloff is co-founder of Alfalfa’s Markets and Aurora Organic Dairy, and former Chairman of Rudi’s Organic Bakery. Steve Hoffman is the founder of Compass Natural, former Education Director for Natural Products Expo East and West, Editorial Director of Natural Foods Merchandiser magazine, and Sales Manager for Arrowhead Mills.

Moderator: 

John Lehndorff is the Exhibit Historian for Boulder EATS! at the Museum of Boulder. Additionally, he is the Food Editor of the Boulder Weekly and host of Radio Nibbles and Kitchen Table Talk on KGNU-FM. He is the former Chief Judge at the National Pie Championships, founding Executive Director of the American Pie Council, Director of the Great American Pie Festival and spokesperson for National Pie Day. He hosts the Global Pie Society Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/piekind 

Photo: Steve Demos, founder of White Wave, shows off a block of tofu. Photo courtesy of the Carnegie Library for Local History, Daily Camera Collection.