Draft:Whole Earth Center

Entryway of Whole Earth Center in Princeton, NJ, in March of 2022.

The Whole Earth Center building, as viewed from Nassau St. facing northeast.

The Whole Earth Center is a non-profit organic food grocery store and restaurant in Princeton, NJ with an unusual business structure.

Board-governed non-profit that earns money

By virtue of its by-laws and its type of incorporation, it is owned by a non-profit organization and governed by a board, but the government does not recognize the store as a 501(c)(3) because it earns money from sales, and thus it pays taxes like a normal corporation. However, 100% of its earnings are invested in furthering its mission "to foster sustainable organic farming, grow the organic marketplace, and support efforts that positively impact the food industry and empower consumers to make healthy, informed choices."

History

It was founded in April of 1970, the same year as the first Earth Day, to provide healthy, sustainable food choices and to raise funds to reduce harmful impacts on the environment. The founders were five women (Barbara Parmet, Florence Falk, Margot Sutherland, Hella McVay, and Susy Waterman) who raised $4,500 in a door-to-door, child-in-tow, funding campaign that enabled them purchase the center's initial stock of bulk foods.

The store's original location was a 10-square-foot space at the intersection of Pine and Nassau Streets (now the location of Thomas Sweet). The store moved to its current location near the intersection of N. Harrison St and Nassau St six months after its founding. In 1994, it increased its footprint by expanding into the neighboring store's space, and in 2008, it conducted a LEED-certified renovation of the entire building that added solar panels to its roof.

Unique aspects among local groceries

The store's produce is 100% organic and, if possible, locally sourced within a 150-mile radius. The store carries hundreds of bulk items to reduce packaging waste, there is an in-house bakery, and a small but popular sit-down, self-serve restaurant serving only gluten-free, vegetarian prepared foods. In summer, tables and benches outside the store provide an expansion to the eatery.

Support for healthy living and environmental preservation

In addition to the store itself, the non-profit organization helps sponsor events for healthy eating and environmental preservation, including in-store discussion groups on healthy living, Bike to Work Week, the annual Princeton Environmental Film Festival, Princeton School Gardens Cooperative, The Suppers Program (now rebranded as "Eating for your Health"), The Town Topics newspaper, and the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen. The non-profit also supports the local environment by donating to, and working closely with, organizations such as the D&R Greenway and Friends of Herrontown Woods.

Location

The Whole Earth Center store is located at 360 Nassau Street near the intersection with Harrison Street. Its parking lot can also be accessed and exited on North Harrison Street via two one-way alleys on either side of a doctor's office building (very near the intersection with Nassau Street).

See also

• Bulk foods
• Organic food culture

External links

• Official website
• Yelp profile