Organic food stores?

[maulotaur]

Are there good options for organic food products - something along the lines of Whole Foods for example or some similar regional business?  Here in Va Bch, there is local chain of stores that allow members to order weekly from a large online catalog and then pick up the orders at the end of the week.  You can usually order in bulk quantities from such a service and save by doing so.  Is there perhaps anything like that in or around Keene?   

-Paul in VA

[Kat Kanning]

There's a small store in Keene called Blueberry Fields.  They have organic produce, health food, I think some no-hormone meat and milk stuff, bulk foods, etc.

[FTL_Ian]

The major grocers also have organic/healthy sections.  You may want to call Blueberry Fields to see if they offer such an option.

[Kat Kanning]

The whole store is organic...doesn't need a section.  But yes, I was pleasantly surprised moving to NH, all the main grocery stores in Keene have big natural foods/organic sections - all 3 major grocery stores in Keene.

[Pat K]

As long as they sell Bacon, I will be o-k.

[maulotaur]

The whole store is organic...doesn't need a section.  But yes, I was pleasantly surprised moving to NH, all the main grocery stores in Keene have big natural foods/organic sections - all 3 major grocery stores in Keene.

I'll definitely have to check that out when I get there - thanks for the tips.  What are the 3 major grocery stores anyway? 

[Pat K]

Lets see if I remember.

Shaws.
Hannafords
Price Chhopper


How did I do?

[Kat Kanning]

PatK gets 100% on his grocery store test! 

[Pat K]

 

[David]

There is an old place on lower main street, looks to be in 'keenes suburb of Swanzey'.  that may be a health food market, though it may just be a vitimin store or something. 

[Kat Kanning]

It's a vitamin store.  They have very minimal health food, too.

[jaqeboy]

Are there good options for organic food products - something along the lines of Whole Foods for example or some similar regional business?  Here in Va Bch, there is local chain of stores that allow members to order weekly from a large online catalog and then pick up the orders at the end of the week.  You can usually order in bulk quantities from such a service and save by doing so.  Is there perhaps anything like that in or around Keene?   

-Paul in VA

The nearest Whole Foods is in Bedford, Mass, but we have a couple of large co-ops like you seem to be mentioning above:

United Natural Foods - go to their website http://www.unitedbuyingclubs.com/ and click on "Find a Buying Club Near You". They don't have an automated lookup system yet on their site, so you still have to email them at the address shown on the next page. They'll do a sort and email you back the document of all the buying clubs nearby (give them a Keene zip code to find out who's nearby). Buying clubs have to put in orders for at least $750, which, depending on what you buy, is about a half pallet load of food. They then deliver to the buying clubs designated receiving address, where club members help the driver unload. Buying frequency depends on how big your order size is. There's a buying club in the Earthward Natural Foods store in Amherst that orders twice a week and gets shipments twice a week.
I belong to a United cooperative buying club in Deerfield that has a 4 week order cycle.

Associated Buyers - I was just reminded of this group this past Saturday and got their catalog (somewhat smaller than United's). Their HQ is Barrington, New-Hampshire and it looks like their website is: http://assocbuyers.com. The person that gave me Associated's catalog says she used to buy for a health food store and had to use both sources to get everything the store wanted to sell.

The Concord Cooperative Market is a store that is run as a co-op: http://www.concordfoodcoop.coop/.
The A Market is a big natural foods store in Manchester: http://amarketnaturalfoods.com - there are others scattered about the state.

I'll probably be doing an hour presentation on co-oping at the Alternatives Expo tent (site P32) at PorcFest this year. The schedule of presenters is not set yet, but will be on the site: http://altexpo.org. Be sure to sign up on the site to get email announcements.

[Kat Kanning]

There's a coop in Brattleboro - closer to Keene.

[maulotaur]

There's a coop in Brattleboro - closer to Keene.

Oh I want to go there!

[Kat Kanning]

That's the clothing optional coop