What is Earth Fare like?
An interesting thing happened yesterday on my Facebook page.
Unprecedented. And exactly the thing that I have prayed God would start. Community.
A truly natural and organic conversation popped up because I said I was going to go to the grand opening of the new grocery store, Earth Fare.
Because of this conversation, I took my camera on our “field trip.”
I involved my children. This was no longer Mommy’s blog post. The Granola Kids were also investing in this experience. Bringing whole food to you. While I may be the one writing the blog post and tweaking the HTML, it was an online activity that I made In-Real-Life for my children.
Intentional blogging. Intentional relationships. A marriage of you people with my people.
A Virtual Tour of Earth Fare
Grab your free bag when you walk in (while supplies last).
The catch?
Sign up for Earth Fare coupons.
Trust me*, you will want to.
You will be gently assaulted by color, life, and vibrant flowers when you walk into the store.
Find an adult shopping cart and have your children snag one their size. You might need their cubic space.
My only beef with Earth Fare was the size of their shopping carts. For a family of six, I have a tendency to purchase a lot of fresh food. Produce doesn’t compact easily. Of course, the fact that a 70 pound child took up a significant amount of room, didn’t help.
Be still my heart: Napa Cabbage for my Kimchi.
Free cheese and an invitation to Thursday Kids Eat for Free night.
Sign Up for Earth Fare Coupons
Remember when I told you that you would want to sign up for the Earth Fare coupons (before you go to the store)?
This is why: a free bird.
Mine now happens to be in a large pot on the stove being transformed into chicken stock. I stocked up on GAPS friendly food items during our field trip.
And I have to be honest. I chose the biggest one. One woman gave me a weird look. I was hovering over the chickens. Kind of psycho-like.
Earth Fare had local food. Yes, I know that the jars say Local Folks. But Local Folks is local to me.
Huge line up of baby food.
Choose your own pasta.
Did I mention shopping carts for kids? This is a great way to gain comments from complete strangers.
I thought about carrying around a cup with a sign that said, “Donations welcome.”
Precariously stacked boxes will fall if you graze them. Not that I did this.
If you want to leave the store without your children begging for a sugary snack? Well, good luck.
A feeding trough of chocolate is waiting for your children to reach out and touch.
Literally.
Not that my children would ever do such a socially unacceptable thing.
No. Not us.
Can You do School at Earth Fare?
When we go grocery shopping, we kind of move in. A store has to have seating. I typically shop around lunch time.
Ahem.
And all of those un-opened boxes need to be sampled, right?
But to make the trip more than just eye candy for the belly, we bring our text books. Like Apologia. We feed our brains.
Maybe I am a sucker for attention.
My FAVORITE Thing about Earth Fare
While I enjoy saving money —
I loved Earth Fare’s ice cubes.
Seriously.
If you know me, really know me, my friends will tell you that the only reason I was disappointed about giving birth at home was that I didn’t get the hospital ice cubes. I love slush-like cylinder ice cubes.
No. I am not diabetic. Otherwise, I don’t typically use ice.
Conclusion
Happy kids.
Easy to “do” school.
GREAT coupons. And plenty of organic options.
By the way, I went to Earth Fare because I wanted to get out of the house. And I wanted to interact more with the ladies on my Facebook page. I honestly went there and spent our money. Some $80 worth of our money. Earth Fare has no idea that I acted like a journalist in their Noblesville store.
What grocery store do you normally shop at?
More importantly, do your kids go grocery shopping with you and how do you occupy them?
By the way — I totally was in no way paid for that trip to Earth Fare. I spent over $80, if you wanna know.
I’m glad you took more pictures. I didn’t really look around at everything because it was like a zoo when I went on opening day. I decided I will have to go back, possibly sans kids, to really get a feel for the store. I was impressed by the coffee and chocolate section, though. You know, the important things. I also hovered around the bird to find the biggest one.
Ezra usually sleeps through shopping trips at this point, but Eden likes to push the little carts and pick things out. Sometimes, she picks things out without asking because she thinks they are “cute”…like tiny cans of sardines. Gross!
I saw more after we left the store through my pictures!! I wish I would have had the chance to go through their homeopathic, lotions, etc. But the isles will full of people and I was already feeling a bit “stressed” with maneuvering my train. Maybe we could meet for lunch sometime! (and have chocolate)
Yes, that would be fun!
We go to Earth Fare every Thursday night for Kids Eat Free and a chance to snag the weekly coupon and whatever else I need there–usually bulk stuff. Usually my hubby stays with the kids in the cafe and I do the shopping since it is typically pretty crazy there on Thursday evenings. I am curious, how do you feel like it compares to Whole Foods? We recently got WF here, but it is further for me. I am wondering if it is worth the trip or if I can get most of what I need at Earth Fare. I’d love your opinion.
Katrina, I think if Earth Fare is close to you that it has all that you need. I didn’t see any pet grade or raw milk . . . but that actually isn’t legal here in Indiana. (Well, pet quality is.) BUT I don’t thing WF carries that either. I “think” Earth Fare had pasteurized/non-homogenizated though. That said, I don’t often get that because we have a cow share — and I don’t know what your take is on raw milk. Another discussion for another day. I also make my own sauerkraut, so I didn’t look if they had it — BUT I think they had Bubbies fermented pickles. 🙂 Long story — Earth Fare was great especially since you can truly make it into a FAMILY experience with the free kids dinner. That in-and-of-itself makes Earth Fare cheaper. 🙂 Enjoy!
Thank you for sharing your trip with us. I’ll have to check out the store. Thanks for the tip on the coupon!!!
Hahahaha! I have the same ice fetish! I love that slushy ice but can never find it! If only we had an Earth Fare (sigh). 😉
You can always come visit me. but you have a lot of cool things out in your neck of the wild northwest.
Hmmm, might have to check it out sometime. I can’t believe you bring toys and school books on a shopping trip—lol! Great way to multi-task 😉
I had to make it a school day! 🙂
Loved Earth Fare – I went on opening day, but it was CRAZY – in the middle of the afternoon even. I’ll go back later when it’s not so busy for my “normal” shopping.
Yes. I am looking forward to when Earth Fare becomes “normal” in the community and we can easily consume the isles without running people over. 🙂 Not that we ever get in anyone’s way.
I hear you, I cringe when my kids get very close to other shoppers with their little carts – they are having a ball, so as long as they don’t run into anyone but me while we shop I let them “help.”
LOVE this! We’ve been lucky enough to be EF shoppers for 6 years (east TN and Asheville NC). Great for families, learning, food conscious shoppers, and hungry snackers. I also loved that this was a social experience for you — it is the social highlight of my week!
There is one near Asheville??? My parents are often in Black Mountain — so if we visit them I will have a home away from home!!