Since 1986, Gaia Herbs has been committed to growing certified organic herbs. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, the Gaia Herb Farm is one of the largest medicinal herb farms in the United States, with some 50 crops growing on 250 acres of certified organic river bottom soil.

Since 1986, Gaia Herbs has been committed to growing certified organic herbs.  Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, the Gaia Herb Farm is one of the largest medicinal herb farms in the United States, with some 50 crops growing on 250 acres of certified organic river bottom soil.

The rich, compelling character of Beeline Honey and skincare products begins with the varied flora of the North Lawndale neighborhood in Chicago. Just as bees play a vital role in urban ecosystems, Sweet Beginnings plays a vital role in the community, providing sustainable skills for people with barriers to employment.

When Jane Elder Kunz inherited her grandparents’ farm, she and her husband Fritz decided to create the first organic dairy in Indiana. As a doctor, Fritz knew that yogurt and cheese made from cows that are grass fed would be packed with healthy nutrients.

Tuscarora Organic Growers is a democratically-operated cooperative of more than 40 farms that was founded in 1988 in Hustontown, Pennsylvania. Growers are held to strict standards, spelled out in an 18-page set of guidelines covering harvest, grading, packing, storage and food safety. All of the partner farms are certified organic.

First constructed and planted in the spring of 2010, the Whole Foods Market Garden Project at Healing Place Women and Children’s Campus (both a homeless shelter and a long-term recovery program) in Louisville, Kentucky, has turned into a self-sustaining food system that provides fresh vegetables for the 200 residents and staff of the facility. With a large-scale vegetable garden, Healing Place is now able to incorporate a “plant-strong” eating approach, where it did not exist before. Also, the residents now enjoy the healing qualities of gardening, which ties in well with the overall mission and vision of the Healing Place.

Steve Whitmire’s family has been farming in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina since the early 1800′s.  As a kid, Steve’s chore was to look after the lone family cow.  Today Steve oversees a much larger herd of Angus/Braunvieh cattle on 1,000+ acres in Brasstown, North Carolina, ensuring they always have sufficient spring water, ample grass, freshly mixed feed and room to roam.

We’re idealists, we admit it! Our values drive what we do every day at Whole Foods Market and sometimes we have a special project that hits on multiple facets of our ideals. Such is the case with our most recent Local Producer Loan Program recipient, Thompson Farms Smokehouse.

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It might be hard to tell since they are around all year, but tomatoes actually have a season when they are at their best. Since they are warm weather plants, you may think that summer in general is the time when they are the most abundant and flavorful. The fact is, though, that field tomatoes need prolonged periods of warm weather to grow and mature so it is generally later in the summer when we see — and taste — the best.

Of course my gardening friends in the southern states are way ahead of the farms in New England and my home here in the west. In fact, many of the commercial winter farms of South Florida have finished and production has already started to move further north. My farmer friends here in California report good plant growth but unseasonably cool daytime temperatures. So, while full-sized slicers and heirloom tomatoes are still several weeks away in large volumes, their smaller cousins, cherry tomatoes, are coming off the vine now. Read the rest of this entry »

For over 35 years, Severino Pasta Company in Westmont, New Jersey, has been the place to find authentic, richly flavored pasta handmade with only the finest ingredients. Joseph and Anna Maria Severino learned the art of pasta making from Umberto Casoli, an artisanal pasta maker in Rome, Italy. In 1971, they returned to America with recipes in hand and introduced their uniquely handcrafted pasta products made from 100% Semolina flour, which are unsurpassed in texture, color and quality.

Pasta from local vendor Severino Pasta Company is currently available in our stores in the MidAtlantic and Northeast regions. We have great local offerings in all of our stores around the country. Ask a team member in your stores about what’s local in your neck of the woods.