Dear Grocery Store, It's Not You, It's Me.

Dear Grocery Store,

While you and I have been in a long-term, committed relationship, there are simply some things I need to get off my chest. I loved you more than any woman should, never groaning or whining about having to pay you a visit, but actually looking forward to seeing what new you had in store for me (literally)! The piles of beautiful produce, the aisles of interesting ingredients, the freezers where you keep the Ben & Jerry's... we were good, real good. But as of late, something has changed and it's not you, it's me.

You see I've been seeing other food sources on the side... farmers' markets, foodie blogs, and Mark Bittman's column in the New York Times. I apologize for these indiscretions, but I simply had to see what else was out there. And I learned that you no longer are giving me what I need. What's that you ask? It's simple: more food, less pesticides. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the small tokens... the helpful yellow flags denoting organic choices, the designated corner in the produce section. But it's just not enough.

Our visits are now filled with angst for me. If there's not an organic selection, what's the right one? Local, but hydroponic tomatoes? Real bacon, or the fake stuff (less pressure on our country's meat production, but supports the bloated soy industry... which, not for nothing, I am pretty sure will be the complete undoing of our entire food system...)? And don't even get me started on meat in general... that's a whole other can of worms. Not real worms, of course... the meat is so loaded with bleach and hormones that nothing real - including worms - could grow in it. Do you see, grocery store, what you are putting me through?

Listen, I want this to work out. I really do. But, if we're going to move forward, I'm really going to need more from you. I know that I am not the easiest person to be a relationship with, but I think you want to stick with me too (or, at least, you continue to want the money I give you each week). So, please add more organic produce, meat, and dairy. Also, and I know this is asking a lot, put price pressure on your suppliers. I am willing to pay more for organic options, but we all have our limits. Also, label the local stuff better and - maybe even - offer local, organic stuff (oh, a girl can dream!). And, lastly, I need you in this with me. You have a voice and influence over other shoppers (we're totally Facebook friends, remember?). Consider using it to educate and encourage your other girlfriends, er, customers.

Thank you for listening, grocery store... it always feels better when I can be honest with you. Now, if there was only some way I could get you to do my laundry.

XOXO,

Courtney

Wholly Unsatisfied

The swallows return each spring to Capistrano. Elvis fanatics trek to Graceland for the King’s birthday each year. And each season, Red Sox Nation makes its annual pilgrimage to Fenway. We all have our Meccas.

When I started this local, organic food adventure I imagined that there would be no destination more fulfilling than Whole Foods. Now, it’s not exactly like Whole Foods stores are completely inaccessible to me. I have at least three within five miles of my house. However, I have a Roche Bros. Supermarket about 1,200 feet from my house. I don’t think I need to tell you that 99.9% of the time, I do my grocery shopping there.

But, last weekend we were heading to the Fleet Center (yes, that’s what I still and will always call it) for a Celtics game and we parked on Cambridge Street. Right in front of Whole Foods. With a grocery list in my bag. It was like Mecca came to me. It was a no brainer for us to “run in” to the store following the game and do my shopping.

Ug. Let’s just say, I’ll never do THAT again. First off, I’ll put in some disclaimers. It was the afternoon before the Superbowl; I’m sure every grocery store in the country was mobbed and this Whole Foods was no exception. Second, it’s tough to shop at a new store; I don’t know about you, but I have a detailed map of my grocery market burned into my brain.

With those things said, I thought that they would be well offset by how easy it would be to find healthful, local groceries at Whole Foods. I was wrong. Getting my shopping done took twice the normal time. It all started in the produce department.

Whole Foods makes no specific claims around local, seasonal food options, but I couldn’t help being stuck by the tomatoes and mangoes and leafy greens. Not interested. Which was fine, as the only produce on my list was shallots and mushrooms. Were they organic? No idea. They weren’t labeled. Also, in just a quick glace around, I counted at least ten signs that read “conventionally grown.” For a girl in marketing, I’d loved that spin.

Finding organic options on the shelves was – of course – very easy, though there were plenty of “conventional” options there too. And once I got back to the non-packaged goods – cheese, bakery, seafood – it was again murky as to what was organic, sustainable, or local. Very little of it had clear labels. To say the least, I left a little frustrated and a little poorer (I’d guesstimate my bill to be 20% higher than normal).

Now, the above may sound like an anti-Whole Foods tirade. It’s not exactly meant to be. You see, what struck me was that I found the experience to not be terribly different from what happens each week at Roche Bros. At Roche Bros., I still have to spend time considering each item I put in my cart… is it local? does it have one of those misleading “all natural” labels, but no actual claims to be organic? is it packaged in the least impactful way? It’s just that, at Roche Bros., I expect to have to do a little work to figure out which options are the right choices. Shopping at Whole Foods didn’t make these considerations a “gimme” the way I thought it would.

So, again this post isn’t meant to be anti-Whole Foods, but rather pro your local grocery store. If you spend a little extra time advocating for yourself (read labels carefully! what are they really saying about your food?), you can find lots of great local and organic options at your grocery store.

In a recent trip to Roche Bros., I found some excellent local and organic selections that I never knew they carried… including a delicious Brie cheese made on a small Vermont farm; organic spices; and organic hummus. Better yet, I did not pay more than $0.50 more for any of these things than I would have for their “conventional” counterparts. I look forward to new finds this week! I’ll keep you posted.

Ok, this whole post has been pretty preachy (sorry), but for my one actual suggestion this week, it would be to get involved with your local grocery store. You can take this as far as you want to… the chatty type? Ask to talk to the manager on duty – tell him or her about what you’d like to see them carry.

Looking for a less ambitious option? Do what I did… I Friended Roche Bros. on Facebook and I posted on their wall about how much I appreciated the local and organic offerings at their store. Guess what? They wrote back. They’re listeninggg. Talk to them. So, make that 99.99% of the time I’ll be shopping there.