America’s west: organics on every corner

North America always was, and still is, the land of superlatives. When Karin Heinze spent three weeks in the autumn travelling from the north west (Washington, Oregon) via California and Florida to Massachusetts (in the north east) she discovered evidence all over the place of the American dream and the drive of self-made entrepreneurs. She put the biggest organic market worldwide under the microscope, visited farmers, entrepreneurs, shops, restaurants and ExpoEast/BioFach America. Read about her impressions and insights in a series of articles in our USA special, that has lots of pictures and videos conveying a picture of life as it is lived. (Picture: America’s west: organics on every corner)
Whether it’s a box scheme, farmers’ market, consumer supported agriculture (CSA), food coop, organic supermarket or the conventional retail food trade – on America’s west coast you can get organic products everywhere. Many pioneers of the organic movement live here and have built up impressive companies. Although few of the bigger companies are still independent, they determine the nature of the market, and organic products have a good image among consumers here. It’s a cliché to say that in the United States everything is bigger, but it’s true – from the pack sizes to the shops. What is really exemplary is the communication policy: do something good and let everybody know about it or, better still in the age of Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, get other people to talk about it. (Picture: On a lavish scale – American organic outlets offer a huge product range. Here, the North Coast Food Coop in Eureka/California)

Everyday life and society in general reflects the organic movement: if you know what you’re looking for, you’ll find organic in every nook and cranny. Maybe in the 1970s design of some stores, maybe professionally in the high gloss professional look of today, but almost always represented by individuals with conviction. The new generation is raring to go and continue what the organic pioneers began 35 – 40 years ago. That’s what I found from meeting more than 100 people during the 21 days I was travelling round the west, south and east of the United States investigating the organic market and current trends. (Picture: Organic in unexpected places: Café Bella in Redway/California sells organic snacks)

The very beginning of my trip was typical. After landing in Seattle, I asked my neighbour on the plane about public transport from the airport into the city. We got into conversation, and it turned out that Emily worked in an organic bakery. A convinced advocate who raved about good bread, about her work that has meaning to it, and about the fact that more and more people value good food, she said how pleased she was that farmers’ markets and food coops were flourishing. (Picture: Farmers’ market in Seattle. Conventional stores offer a growing organic product range)

Emily radiated real happiness – she is passionate about her work and is convinced she is doing the right thing: “Farmers’ markets are a great way of supporting local farmers and supplying consumers with good food at the same time.” She said Seattle is a young city and also green, with a wide variety of green business and a lot of addresses where you can buy organic food. (Picture: Seattle has several farmers’ markets and market halls with organics on sale)

Many regional organic initiatives like PCC Natural Markets – a food coop – have grown strongly in recent years, including during the crisis. Emily sees this as proof that people are becoming more aware of healthy food. Home delivery is another buoyant business. And, of course, there is also Whole Foods Market, plus the fact that in practically every conventional store you’ll find some organic products. An organic farmers’ market with about 30 stalls belonging to local organic farmers is held twice a week in a market hall in First Avenue in Seattle. There are more of them in other parts of the city and in the vicinity. (Picture: Aveda shop opposite the Hotel 1000 in a very good position in an up-market location in Seattle)

The history of PCC Natural Markets began in 1953 as a small buyers’ association of 15 families. With 45,000 members and thousands of customers shopping at PCC, this company, that is owned by consumers, has become over the last 60 years the biggest food coop in North America. If you log onto PCC Natural Markets’ extensive website, you realise how much importance they attach to communication: blogs, newsletters, videos, a whole host of social media, cookery courses via video, recipes and offers – this food coop provides all that for consumers. Any customer can shop in its nine stores from 7.00 – 23.00. (Picture: With 45,000 members, PCC Food Coop is the biggest food coop in America)

The shopping experience is certainly not the only thing that brings people into PCC Natural Markets – it’s the sense of community as well: in 2009, for example, 450 volunteers formed work parties to pack over 25 tons of food for various social projects and food banks. This was made possible by nearly 75,000 customers making donations. PCC takes part in the non-GMO project, organizes courses for sustainable household management and saving water, and has created a farmland trust. However, enjoyment and having fun are not neglected, with wine tasting and events on offer too. The stores are certified organic retail outlets and, since the beginning of 2009, PCC has required all natural cosmetics to comply with the standard of the Natural Products Association (the NPA standard is controlled by the food safety authority, the Food and Drug Administration). (Picture: Food Coops are a common and successful marketing model in the USA – here, North Coast Food Coop in Eureka)

The many food coops are proof that this retail model is very popular in the USA, as demonstrated by for example the North Coast Food Coop’s two stores in Arcata and Eureka in California. This company was founded in 1973 with the aim of making healthy products affordable by purchasing in large volume direct from the producers. The general manager is David Lippman, and for him one of the major challenges of today is to convince the coming generations of the benefits of the alternative lifestyle and healthy food. He says that all classes and ages in the population are represented in the 12,000 members of his coop, but the commitment of the younger generation has changed. As he points out: “What the cooperatives have to face in general is enthusing young people with the coop idea and getting them to become members.” The profits generated by the stores are re-invested and/or are distributed to the members. (Picture: The tills in the North Coast Food Coop. You don’t have to be a member to shop at food coops)

The two stores belonging to North Coast Food Coop are open to non-members too. Members identify themselves at the till with their number, and once a month there is a members’ day with a 10 % reduction on the whole range of around 25,000 products. 40-45 % of the stock is “natural”, about
50 % is certified organic, and a declining proportion is conventional, in order to give customers choice and the opportunity of one-stop shopping. Mixing organic products and natural and health food products without organic certification is common practice in the USA. Nevertheless, the stores (the organic stock) are certified organic. Healthy food, regional products and supporting farmers plus protection of the environment and sustainability are regarded as more important than a one hundred percent organic product range. (Picture: No inhibitions: organic and natural side-by-side plus a big non-food stock)

The Coop’s original store is in Arcata. The company opened its massive store (1,600 m²) in Eureka four years ago. It occupies a good strategic position right on the through road, and its size means you can hardly miss it. The store has a very attractive product range, and for customers there’s a big car park. The very smart fruit and vegetable department near the entrance is a real experience. A customer service center welcomes the customers – among other things, they can engage in dialogue here with the management team. Further on from the fresh foods is an area with bulk goods for you to fill your own containers, and a big selection of peripheral and non-food products (food supplements, cosmetics, textiles, books, magazines and kitchen equipment).

Wherever you go, there’s plenty of space, offers, secondary placement of products and displays of stacked goods. You find chilled counters packed with dairy and convenience products, the store’s own fish and butcher’s counter, and of course the complete dry goods range. A tour of the store ends with a counter offering an abundance of possibilities – salads, hot and cold dishes – all to take away or eat in the café/restaurant. (Picture: Huge variety, freshness and presentation are important)

The recession did not leave the North Coast Food Coop untouched. “2009 was a poor year for us, and we didn’t make any profit at all. For six months things have been getting better, and by the end of June we had a turnover of 7.25 million dollars, which is an increase of 11.5 % compared with last year. This translates into a profit of 42,000 dollars”. Despite this recovery, Lippman (picture) is in no doubt that they have to continue meeting the high standards of the customers. “We should be grateful that 2009 didn’t bring big losses,” he says about the company’s situation. He puts all this down partly to the members’ high level of trust and their interest in healthy food.

“And more and more people here appreciate that we’re doing good work in this region. We support the farmers – we’ve been working together with many of them for over 30 years. Our belief is that fairness comes before price wars. Lots of customers understand that and respect the work we do. (Picture above on right: David Lippman is happy with the development of turnover in 2010)

Other very popular marketing channels in the wholefood market in the USA are consumer supported agriculture (CSA), more or less comparable with the producer-consumer communities in Germany, and home delivery (box schemes). An example, that combines several models and has a tradition going back 23 years, is Gathering Together. A little way out of the town of Philomath/Oregon, in an idyllic valley, you see a sign directing you to a car park and the farm shop (picture above on left) that doubles as a café-restaurant. The shop (ca. 80 m²) sells mainly vegetables produced on the farm, fruit, some dairy products and a small dry goods range. Seats both inside and outside the rustic wooden building tempt you to linger for a while. You can have lunch and dinner, and on Saturdays there’s breakfast too. The food is seasonal, from the farm’s own garden and prepared in their kitchen. (Picture: Charming setting: snacks for stores and food for the restaurant are produced in their own kitchen)

Behind the shop and the adjoining store rooms is the garden, where over 40 kinds of vegetable and herbs are grown on 65 acres. Gathering Together supplies go to nine farmers’ markets in the vicinity and it is supported by 350 CSA customers. Sally Brewer (picture), who founded the family business with her husband John Eveland in 1987, says: “Demand is greater than supply. All year round we sell practically everything we produce.” Greenhouses that mean they can grow a big variety of fresh produce throughout the year. Salad and herb specialities, rare vegetables and many kinds of squash ensure a wide range from which to buy. On the market stalls you see not just vegetables but bread baked in wood-burning stoves, pastries, cheese, eggs and meat from neighbouring farms. (Picture: Gathering Together sells a big range of vegetables, salad and herbs all the year round)


Farmers’ markets occupy a special place among the marketing channels. Proof that towns like Portland, Eugene and the whole Pacific coast have plenty of bio-savvy customers is, for example, the six markets a week in Portland, many markets with their own websites, Facebook, Twitter and even apps, and a customer magazine advertising places, dates and campaigns. Even in little towns and communities, farmers’ markets offer regional businesses, small producers and craftsmen a marketing platform for their products. An example of a tiny farmers’ market is the community of Yachats, where on Sunday mornings a colourful mix of gardeners (some organic), food stalls (an organic baker, cakes and barbecue) and crafts people (a hat maker, potter, photographer, batik maker, soap maker) animate the square in front of the community centre. (Pictures: All sorts of food, meals and handicraft articles awaiting customers in the summer months in Yachats. Also an organic baker)

The Ferry Plaza Organic Farmers Market is well known in San Francisco, but also three times a week in the neighbouring university town of Berkeley you see “Welcome to the Farmers Market” (picture). Here you find the idea of the Buy Local movement - supporting the regional economy, small craft businesses and farmers - being put into practice. To a certain extent, you feel you’re back in the 1980s when you look at the kinds of people and stalls before you: hippies buying from and standing behind the stalls, a couple of guys playing guitars and singing, and a table with books on the environment. (Picture: Good atmosphere at the Berkeley farmers’ market)

The farmers’ market in Berkeley is organized by the Eco Center that runs a Food Justice Program to ensure that low-income people don’t have to go without fresh organic vegetables. About 80 % of what is sold is certified organic, and it is 100 % GMO-free. Here you can buy mainly fruit and vegetables, plus some other foods. The producers come from the north of San Francisco Bay and travel as far as 100 km from Santa Cruz. People sell their products, they taste, do deals, tell background stories – there’s a lot of competition for customers, harvest-fresh produce and a great market atmosphere, plus events ranging from music and culture to cookery courses. (Picture: Busy Eco-market in Berkeley – three times a week producers from the region sell their products here)

You can access more articles on the organic market in the USA here