We love the wholesome and organic products that line the shelves of Kimberton Whole Foods, and this season brings a slew of new and seasoned locally sourced products to the table. KWF nurtures longstanding relationships with farmers, apiarists, brewers, bakers and apothecaries within the Greater Philadelphia area, allowing you to forage freely for local goodness in the bins and aisles at your nearest KWF location.
According to KWF’s local produce statement, “Locally grown, harvested, raised, roasted, baked and brewed products have pride of place in our stores, not only for their quality and integrity of materials, but also because the true value of being a community market is in making contributions to the lives of our neighbors and the local economy.”
This season brings along three local producers who bring veggies and roughage, irresistible sweetness and savory meats to the always-delicious, always-wholesome Kimberton Whole Foods selection.
Paradise Organics
This summer, get your greens and other homegrown vegetable delights at KWF, where you’ll find the organic local produce of Paradise Farms.
For salads, sides and smoothies, there’s bagged baby spinach, spring mix, arugula and Asian mix. Stock up on superfoods like kale, collards, rainbow chard and dandelion. Or punch up your cooking flavors and round out barbecue kabobs with scallions, cilantro, zucchini, bunched red beets and parsnips.
Chris Petersheim founded Paradise Farms in 1980 and is committed to offering only certified organic, pesticide-free crops. All crops are grown from seed on the five-acre plot of land in nearby Paradise, Pennsylvania.
Anne, produce buyer for Kimberton Whole Foods, has only rave reviews for this local operation, with which Kimberton has held a decade-long buying relationship. “I love that all of this beautiful, consistently artisan quality organic produce is grown on a five-acre family farm,” she says. “The Petersheims handle every aspect of their operation with passion, love and warmth. It’s like growing it myself, only better!”
Wild Creek Bee Farm Honey
Honey from the hive sits on Kimberton’s shelves courtesy of Wild Creek Bee Farm Honey. A legitimate “bee farm,” Wild Creek not only supplies beeswax products in a variety of types and flavors, but is also devoted to the protection and propagation of honey bees themselves. Jill, grocery buyer for KWF, says, “The Wild Creek beekeepers are extremely dedicated to the health and livelihood of their bees and bees everywhere with a true passion!”
Wild Creek owner Chris Maxwell became interested in bees as a young boy when, living in a neighborhood with few kids his own age, he set out to the fields and meadows to play. He was fascinated by the honey bees buzzing about and often caught them in Mason jars. This childhood interest grew into what is now a sustainable practice farming bees and helping local apiarists to do the same.
Raw honey like Wild Creek’s is known for its immune-enhancing, antimicrobial and antibiotic properties, and is a popular remedy for seasonal allergies. Unlike most honeys commonly found on grocers’ shelves, Wild Creek Bee Farm honey retains its innate healthful properties, as Chris and the farmers do not harshly process or pasteurize it. They also use all-natural ingredients and keep the farm chemical-free. The result is honey bursting with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and antibiotics.
To taste this local superfood for yourself, head to your nearest Kimberton Whole Foods. You’ll find Wild Creek Bee Farm’s raw wildflower, goldenrod, clover and creamed varieties on the shelves. And Jill tells us, “By popular demand, buckwheat and creamed cinnamon varieties are coming soon to stores!”
Lancaster Farm Fresh
As you peruse the store, you can also now find fresh, never-frozen pastured chicken from Lancaster County. KWF works with Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative to bring you this non-GMO, hormone-free poultry that tastes phenomenal, with beneficial essential fatty acids to boot.
“It’s important to us to be able to trace the farms from which our products come from to ensure quality and the health of the animal,” says Rich, KWF’s perishables buyer. “Kimberton Whole Foods has had a long relationship with LFF, and we’re proud to be able to offer their fresh, pastured chicken to our customers.”
Look for farm-fresh breasts, thighs, wings and whole chickens at your nearest KWF location (not available at the Douglassville store). You can expect the meat to taste better than typical grocery store cuts, as Lancaster Farm Fresh chickens spend their days in the pasture foraging for a variety of edibles and exercising their bodies. Their feed is clean and “always free of GMOs” and the chickens are “never administered hormones or antibiotics,” Lancaster Farm Fresh founder Casey Spacht states.
What’s more, Casey adds, is that, “Chickens raised on pasture are also naturally higher in omega-3 fatty acids because of all the grass they consume.” Healthier and more delicious, the Lancaster Farm Fresh chicken at Kimberton Whole Foods has all the right ingredients for your summer recipes.
Looking for more poultry options? New and exclusive to the flagship Kimberton location, Quarry Hill pastured chicken from Harleysville is now available as well.
To learn more about the local people and products Kimberton Whole Foods supports, check out this short video and learn what it means when you see an apple stamp on a product in the store!
For the farmers’ market experience any day of the week, visit your closest Kimberton Whole Foods location and treat yourself to the ultimate in seasonal nourishment and summer freshness: Kimberton, (610) 935-1444; Downingtown, (610) 873-8225; Malvern, (484) 324-2800; Douglassville, (610) 385-1588; and Ottsville, (610) 847-2419.
- Top three photos: Paradise Farms
- Middle three photos: Wild Creek Honey
- Bottom three photos: Lancaster Farm Fresh
