Okay...so I have tons to blog about this morning after a day of relaxation and recovery...an awesome art opening...an amazing women's challenge....But before I get to any of that...my blood is boiling and I've got to post about it. I briefly mentioned in a previous post that I didn't understand why any citizen of Austin would be pissed that we can now enjoy a new Natural Grocery store in Hyde park just because it's somewhat close to Wheatsville. Last night, as I searched for some new recipes & where I might find some ingredients I need locally, I ran into a few reviews that got me pissed all over again. While most smart people are thrilled that more and more Natural Grocery Stores are joining the community...there are a few sour apples that simply piss me off. There is a trail of chatter on Yelp that begins with excitement for the addition of the Natural Grocers on 39th and Guadalupe and quickly spirals downward to a pissy rant about how Californians are ruining Austin with all this expansion...
For example:
"We like Wheatsville...which is why we'll keep supporting that almost completely local, community-owned and -loving emporium while wondering why a Colorado chain would set up shop just up the street from our most beloved and unique natural foods store..."
Before I tell you what really gets under my skin about this attitude...let me tell you a few quick notes about this "Colorado chain".
They have the freshest and MOST yummy almond butter I have ever tasted for only $4.99/tub. This is about 1/3 of the cost I have seen in other places.
They also carry my favorite Turkey Jerky which is the only brand I have ever found locally to be both gluten free and sugar free. This stuff is a perfect portable protein and I can't get it anywhere else.
Not to mention the fact that they sell Kombucha Tea for only $1.99 where the same brand is sold for $3.59 everywhere else in town.
I personally believe that whether the owners of this chain are from Colorado or not, they have added a valuable resource for our community. And to be honest, I love Wheatsville and I do shop there quite a bit...but they are not quite as local as we want to believe.But here is why I feel my blood circulating with great fervor when I read pissy rants about how unfortunate it is that the niche market of healthy eating is expanding:
HEALTHY EATING SHOULD NOT BE A NICHE MARKET!!!!
I'm sorry that you eat organic food, not because it's better for you, but because you need it to fuel your alternative identity. I'm sorry that you are so selfishly obsessed with your identity crisis that you don't want everyone to have access to good food. How dare you. How could another health food store (which is a full 10 blocks away on a major thoroughfare) be the downfall of Austin? F?%K You!! You don't get to own healthy food. You don't get to treat healthy food like your beloved underground band that sold out to the mainstream. It's people like you that make me afraid to be an outspoken healthy eater. There are "convenience stores" every other block that sell 90% crap filled with processed shit and tons of sugar. Well I want my organic apple to exist every other block too!! You are complaining about 10 blocks?!?!
Organic/healthy food should be as popular as Ferris Bueller. To quote Grace, it should be enjoyed by, "The sportos, the motorheads, geeks, sluts, bloods, wastoids, dweebies, dickheads" alike!
This is so much bigger than your alternative identity. Our country is in a health crisis. Get over yourself.
Happy eating my lovely people!!!
5 comments:
Rock on with your bad self! Amen, sister.
And thanks for the tip on the turkey jerky!
I totally agree with you:
1) That almond butter is my absolute fave and ridiculously cheap. How do they do it?!
2) You can frequent both without hurting either. Capitalism much? I'm not going to buy Wheatsville's $18.99/lb raw almond butter whether Natural Grocers exists or not. But I do love Wheatsville's local eggs, and it's the only place to find bison jerky besides Farmer's Markets.
So thanks for posting. And when people agree with your rant, it feels less rant-y. :-)
Very well said! That turkey jerky looks like THE STUFF, thanks for the tip. Keep up the good blogging, I really enjoy reading your posts!
Amen!
If these people are soooo peeved about "buying local" they shouldn't be at Wheatsville anyway, they should be hitting up the farmers markets around the area. Or drop by Boggy Creek farm maybe? I think some people just like to whine. Way to call 'em out Catherine!
Thanks Guys! I've overheard this conversation too many times to not speak up. I just think that the more natural grocery stores the better...it's that simple! We need them to compete against each other to ensure that they continue to raise the bar in terms of quality. This also puts pressure on regular grocery stores to reevaluate their priorities. Maybe since I Crossfit I understand that healthy competition raises the bar for everyone.
Post a Comment