Nutritional Foundations: Finding high quality sources for a whole foods diet

Apples in baskets at market
Only slightly long winded (seriously, it’s a talent of mine!), it’s time to end this series on how to lay the best nutritional foundation by starting with the foods you use. I’m hoping to end it with a bang, and leave you with something entirely, utterly practical and helpful!

I wanted to compile as many resources as I possibly could to help give you a bit of a jump start in your search for better, local sources. This list is not complete (not by a long shot!) but I think that it’s a great start, and I’m very much hoping for your help in continuing to add to it!

General Resources:

Local Harvest (Excellent US resource for farms, CSA’s, farmers markets, co-ops, and more)

Eat Well Guide (Includes product and location searches, as well as local guides for each US state and Canadian province with long lists of farms, markets, delis, etc. and even a tool that  helps you plan your next trip to include wholesome, local eating- this is definitely worth looking at!)

Grass-fed, free range meat and poultry:

Eat Wild (primarily USA and fairly extensive Canadian listings)

Seeds of Health- Grass Fed Meat Producers (UK)

Grass Fed Meats Online (seems to bring together producers from all over the US, and is actually run through Amazon.com, so I assume they ship anywhere Amazon ships, though it may possibly only be US).

Thundering Hooves (all kinds of pasture-finished meats and poultry- they will ship by UPS, or deliver to Puget Sound, WA area- thanks Michelle!)

Raw, grass-fed milk:

Real Milk (though I have searched and searched, this is the main site I have been able to find. Fortunately, it is quite extensive, and includes Canada and international countries, mostly in Europe, Australia and New Zealand)

Local Harvest (there isn’t a big focus on raw milk, but from the homepage, you can do a type “raw milk” into the product search, and see if anything comes up for your local area- again, this is US)

Naturally grown, organic and/or local produce:

Eat Kind (directories for Canada, USA and some international- provides links to smaller, more focused directories for CSA’s, farmers markets, organic growers, health food stores, etc.)

Local Harvest– (excellent resource for finding farms, farmers markets and CSAs)

Canadian CSA List 

General Grocery Items (teas/coffee/herbs/spices/oils,etc.)

Frontier Coop (seasonings, flavor extracts, food mixes, teas, body care, etc. Also, they have a wholesale site. Thanks Michelle!

Hummingbird Wholesale (sweeteners, oils, spices, grains, beans, nuts and seeds, etc. Thanks Michelle!)

Cafe Mam (fair trade coffee- wholesale- thanks Michelle!)

Grocery Co-ops and delivery services:

Spud.ca and Spud.com

Azure Standard (excellent source for bulk grains, baking supplies, general groceries- well, really anything bulk!)

Coop Directory Service (American- extensive list of co-ops by state)

Food Coops and Other Coop Resources (mostly American again, with just a few international listings- Canada, Australia, Europe)

Ontario Natural Food Co-op (this is the only co-op I could find for Canada- surely there are more out there? Where are they?)

Ethical Superstore (UK- not much for bulk sizes, but they do carry a lot of organic groceries for delivery)

Suma (natural foods co-op in UK)

Organic Grains, Beans and Legumes:

Paul’s Grains (wide variety of bulk grains- seems to be only US shipping, though I can’t tell for sure- does anyone know?)

Anita’s Organic Graing and Flour Mill (Canadian- can be picked up at Chilliwack, BC store or shipped directly. Some lower mainland stores carry a small selection).

Azure Standard (specifically great for their bulk grains and other pantry staples)

Bob’s Red Mill (awesome selection of whole grain and often organic grains, beans, seeds, cereals, etc and lots of options for those with allergies, too! Often availble through co-ops or in your local stores, but also through their online site. Thanks Leslie!)

Rancho Gordo (located in CA, but available online for US shipping, they have a great selection of heirloom dry beans, plus amaranth and quinoa, and other Mexican-inspired herbs, seasonings, chilis, etc.- thanks again Leslie!)

Where you live:

This is my attempt to pull together some of the places where we (you and I) really shop, week to week. They are listed alphabetically, by state or province. I’ve started it with my own local resources. If you have a resource to pass on, just leave it in a comment and I’ll add it to this post!

Canada

British Columbia

Anita’s Organic Grain and Flour Mill

Ennis Farm Meats (small, local meat shop specializing in natural and grass fed meats and poultry, where they also make some of their own sausages, sandwich meats, pepperoni, etc. with little or no preservatives)

2 EE’s Produce Market (amazing, year round market, where they grow much of their own produce naturally/organically and the prices are incredible- located in Surrey)

Home on the Range Dairy

Ladybug Organics (organic delivery service)

Ontario

Ontario Natural Food Co-op (this is the only co-op I could find for Canada- surely there are more out there? Where are they?)

USA

Oklahoma

Oklahoma Food Co-op (grass fed meats, produce, eggs, even house items- all natural or organic. One time fee of $50 to join. Thanks Megan!)

Oregon

Local Buying Club (purchases from Hummingbird Wholesale, Frontier Wholesale, Cafe Mam, Thundering Hooves- Thanks Michelle, and I think you can find out more by contacting her as well!)

Washington

Thundering Hooves (pasture finished meat and poultry- available for delivery to Puget Sound area, or through a number of local buying clubs in WA and somewhat in OR- thanks Michelle!)

You’re next…

If you have local resources that you want to share, please, please leave a comment (or email if you prefer- keeperofthehome (at) canada (dot) com) and I will try to add your resources to this list as quickly as I can! I would love to see this list become much more extensive and useful of a resource, so let’s help each other out by sharing what we know!

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7 Comments

  1. What a great resource, Stephanie! 🙂 I just did a long-winded post myself today, with an itemized grocery list/budget!

    Blessings,
    Michele

  2. Hi Stephanie! Thanks so much for including the Eat Well Guide in your wonderful list. I consult for Eat Well, serving as freelance editor of their blog, the Green Fork. I’m especially glad you noticed the local food guides — they’re new and our team has worked very hard on them.

    I would add to this list a couple of places — Bob’s Red Mill in Portland, OR produces hundreds of different grains, most if not all of which are organic, and they distribute to lots of natural food stores, including Whole Foods (http://www.bobsredmill.com)

    Also Rancho Gordo beans, which is based in CA but you can buy their heirloom beans from their website. (http://ranchogordo.com/)

    Yum. Thanks again!

  3. Hi, Stephanie,
    I just left another comment, but it said it was spam. (oops) 🙂 So, you might want to check your spam box, if you have a chance. 🙂
    Blessings,
    Michele

  4. What a great resource, Stephanie!

    Oklahoma families have access to locally grown, organic, natural resources through our AMAZING Oklahoma Food Co-Op http://www.oklahomafood.coop/ It does cost about $50 to join, but that’s just a one-time cost to support operating costs. We can get everything from grass-fed beef to buffalo (bison?) to fresh produce and eggs to handmade wares. It’s awesome.

  5. In Ontario, the Good Food Box by Food Share is an excellent source of local fruits and veggies.

    From their website:
    “The Good Food Box runs like a large buying club with centralized buying and co-ordination. Twice a month individuals place orders for boxes with volunteer co-ordinators in their neighborhood and receive a box brimming with fresh, tasty produce.

    Customers pay between $12 and $32 for their box, depending on the version that they choose. Each box contains the same mixture of food, though the contents change with each delivery, depending on what is in season and reasonable at the time. FoodShare truck drivers deliver the boxes to the neighborhood drop-offs, where the local volunteer co-ordinators ensure that customers pick-up their boxes.”

    Their website also indicates similar programs across Canada: http://www.foodshare.net/train08.htm

    I participated in this program a few years ago (but then moved jobs where the box was delivered to) and am looking to start up again soon.

  6. I know this is an old post, but I thought I would comment anyway because no one from around here ever does and it took me quite a while to find this stuff. I live in Western New York. I actually contacted my local Weston A Price Foundation Chapter leader (which you can find on the website). Here is what I have available:
    Many on these I have not visited I stared the ones I have actually used.

    * Feel Rite (its a small health food store)

    * Duink Farm Hickox Rd, Hamburg 14075 – pork, lamb, chicken, eggs

    * Thorpes farm, East Aurora NY 655-4486 – Grass and grain fed beef and poultry,Eggs, Cow share dairy, Veggie/Fruit CSA

    Freeman Homestead Farm, Stockton NY 672-8022 – Grass fed beef pork variety of poultry, lamb, goat, rabbit, Eggs, Cow share dairy

    Spas farm. Paul Spas Ashville NY (716) 789-4374 – Phspas3781@hotmail.com – Grass fed Red Devon beef

    Lake Country Premium Forestville NY (716)965-2249 – hanova@netsync.net – grass and grain fed beef

    * (this will probably be my milk choice if my friends cow runs out any time soon)Rachel Lapp-Kellogg Casadaga NY 595-3210 – Beef, cheese and dairy

    Bennington Beefalo Bob and Kathy Ott Attica NY [585] 591-2685
    bobandkathy@2ki.net Pastured beefalo and poultry

    Genzels East Hill Farm 7580 Lower East Hill Rd. Colden NY
    http://www.easthillfarms.com home-716 941-3934 cell 716 598-6312
    pastured pork, chicken, eggs and cow share program

    whitecowdairy.com Specialty Artisan dairy products, from Patrick Lango – They have these at my local Wegmans

    Teacup Farm from Liz Neadow, Barker NY (716) 807-2963 Goats milk

    Milk Direct Jamie Mitman, Darien NY (716) 998-5264 or (585)704-2664

    Martin Yoder Medina NY (585) 798-9345 certified organic milk and eggs

    * Native Offerings CSA – Otto NY 257-3006 – Shares delivered to Orchard Park, Williamsville and Buffalo

    stoneybrookkitchen@yahoo.com 655-5886 Artisan breads, soups, stews whole foods crafted with and old world influence

    Elmwood-Bidwell Farmers Market elmwoodmarket.org

    Lexington Coop

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