Natural Grocers Aspires to Become ‘Organic Headquarters’

In conjunction with September’s designation as Organic Harvest Month, Natural Grocers aims to elevate its brand to become the official "Organic Month Headquarters."

The Lakewood, Colo.-based retailer, which sells only 100 percent USDA-certified organic produce, will host an educational push for the entire month of September.

"Since we added produce racks to our stores in 1989, we have sold only organically grown produce,” said Kemper Isely, Natural Grocers' co-president. " When the USDA finally established an officially recognized and regulated organic standard in 2000, all the produce we sold already met that standard.”

He continued, “Other major grocery chains have recently begun to include organic options, but none of them sell exclusively 100 percent organic produce like we do.”

Natural Grocers’ decision to sell only organic produce from the start, Isely added, “is based upon our core founding principles of providing consumers with the highest-quality product choices that are 'good4u,' good for the environment and good for the economy. Claiming the title 'Organic Month Headquarters' is our way of showcasing our commitment to organic produce and our customers."

Elements of Natural Grocers' Organic Month Headquarters promotion include:

• Free organic apples for the first 400 customers at each Natural Grocers location on Sept. 1.
• Free reusable shopping bag for the first 400 customers at each Natural Grocers location on Sept. 1.
• Free classes where customers can learn about the benefits of choosing organic foods, along with easy ways to incorporate organic vegetables into their everyday meals, including healthy tailgating options.
• "Fall in Love with Organics" classes offering one winner at each class the chance to take home $50 for organic shopping in the store, and a bag full of 100 percent organic produce valued at $50.
• A second class, "Elevate Your Tailgate," will offer healthy tailgating options for football fans.
• Free meal planners and recipes that educate customers on how they can incorporate more organic vegetables into their diets in an affordable way.
• Sampling Saturdays each weekend, with opportunities to sample a variety of organic produce.
• An original song and video by Grammy Award-nominated eco-hip hop artist DJ Cavem to inspire everyone to choose organic products. The song will be accompanied by a series of downloadable tips from DJ Cavem and Alkemia Earth on how to get your family to fall in love with eating more vegetables.

To showcase the new "good4u tailgating" concept, the company will also host a free tailgating event in Denver on Thursday, Sept. 8 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. The event will include free "good4u snack kabobs," and live music by Jakarta. 

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Inc. operates 122 stores in 19 states.