Shari - great job on explaining the reasoning behind your recommendations. We all have different ideas of what is most important (local, organic, etc) and we have to make peace with that.
As a coffee addict, that's one thing I'll never give up. Maybe the Cub you went to didn't carry it, but the one in Eagan is pretty good about carrying Camerron's (not local) Organic French Roast. The 2 lb bag of beans generally runs about $15 and is typically what I buy.
Thanks, everyone, for some great feedback. I learn so much from you!
I have to say, Jason, that your observation about portraying Cub Foods as if it were from an alien universe was spot on, because that's how it feels to me. I also feel the same way about the Mall of America and the Metro Dome, so Lee could be right. Maybe I do need to get out more. ;-)
Well put, Jason, thanks for the comment. Your point about meat and organics is well made, but your "alien universe" comment is even better. You're absolutely right. We need to get out more.
My family shops at Cub (as well as Target, and we're CSA members) and it's great to have all the organic stuff in one place. We want to buy organic, and so we go to that section. Although we may prefer to buy a local tomato instead of an organic tomato from California. These things aren't easy.
I don't buy my meat at Cub, if you're looking for a larger grocery store meat experience, perhaps you should try Byerly's or Lunds for a subsequent story.
I certainly don't want to tell someone how they should write, but if this is supposed to truly be a guide for people who shop at Cub and bigger grocery stores, it might be nice to not portray a grocery store like it's from an alien universe.
Thanks so much for weighing in, folks! Kris, you make a great point about where the organic food is kept - produce aside (thanks for the info, Jeanne!), I feel like the food is somehow being ostracized so that it won't get in the way of other, more prominent brands. There are probably good marketing reasons for this - maybe people who buy organic would rather just shop one aisle than have to walk the entire store, or maybe it's just an extension of the way produce is sold? Neither of these seems to be the case in my experience, but...
Ginger, Kris, and Bill, I really appreciate you mentioning other locations, stores, and the fact that selection varies. It's easy to assume that what we see in one place represents EVERYPLACE within a chain, and it's important to remember that stores are different. It's also empowering to think that we might be able to impact our local store's assortment, even if we can't impact an entire chain.
My go-to grocery store is the Cub in Eagan (although meat, cheese and produce, when possible, all come from the farmers market) and as Bill mentioned, there is A LOT of variation between Cub stores. Some of it (as I found out years ago when I moved from Richfield/Edina to Eagan) has to do with the fact that there are corporate and non-corporate stores.
Jeanne's reasoning on the organic produce next to the conventional seems reasonable but I am constantly frustrated that the rest of the organic/natural food (cold, frozen, canned) is in a seperate part of the store instead of being shelved next to the "regular" food. It makes me less likely to pick it up, unless there's something specific I'm going for - like plain non-fat yogurt which my Cub does not carry in any 6 oz brand except organic. Instead of highlighting those foods by keeping them seperate I think they're shooting themselves in the foot and ensuring they sell less of those products.
Thanks for addressing this topic. I've got a big family and I find that coops often don't meet my needs (e.g., half-gallons of milk won't work in a house that goes through 1.5 gallons each day).
So, I've tried Cub, but have had similar experiences as you've described. I'm so surprised that their organic foods are completely separated from the rest of their assortment (even foods where no risk of cross-contamination exists, e.g., organic milk). Cub's organic selection I've found minimal as well.
Most appalling to me has been Cub's organic dairy pricing -- higher than my local co-op, Lunds, or SuperTarget.
Speaking of Target, I'd recommend them for a better big box, high convenience solution for organic options. They're well merchandised, feature a wide assortment, and are priced competitively. From what I've seen, Target's local assortment is scarce, but organic abounds.
Just an FYI: the reason stores don't display organic broccoli next to conventional broccoli isn't just to make it less convenient--it's to prevent cross-contamination between the two. Cuz even though it usually tastes a lot better, organic broccoli looks pretty much like conventional broccoli to the naked eye. Pesticide residues are hard to see.
Selection differs Cub to Cub. For instance, Apple Valley's Cub has a much better natural foods selection than the Dodd/Cedar one just two miles down the road.
They keep their bread in the freezers at Cub. Makes sense I suppose being that the majority of people shopping at Cub buy their store brand bread and the natural ones would go to pot in three days.
I don't buy any meat from Cub unless I absolutely have to. I have had too many experiences opening opaque packages to find that the meat was already bad. Gross.
I tend to buy their Wild Harvest cereals and their free range/organic stocks. My wife prefers their cereal to many of those I can get at the coop and they're usually quite a bit less expensive.
At least they are trying. They might get better eventually but only as their customers begin to demand it.
You are what you eat! Right now Americans are the big losers in the world, giving way to the Asians - vegetarians, veggies and rice folks! They kick American ass in manufacturing, heavy industry, and supply most the parts for the cars we and the other Asians assemble our cars from! Our sex-sick executives go to Thailand to screw little under-age Asian girls - who eat bugs! Insects! Thats what they live on! and rice on the side! China lagoons humanure, sewage, seeds the lagoons with Carp, eels, then sells the meat! They eat Shiite processed once by fish! China also uses "Night Soil" to fertilize their gardens, then in short order, have fresh veggies for Cities' markets! Yes! They do so! - no large fields for beef, no factory farms stuffing antibiotics and hormones into cows, pigs, chickens to force feed them corn, soybeans, and force digest them in the animal's stomachs! Humanity - an ugly picture indeed! Americans included!
Shari - great job on
Shari - great job on explaining the reasoning behind your recommendations. We all have different ideas of what is most important (local, organic, etc) and we have to make peace with that.
As a coffee addict, that's one thing I'll never give up. Maybe the Cub you went to didn't carry it, but the one in Eagan is pretty good about carrying Camerron's (not local) Organic French Roast. The 2 lb bag of beans generally runs about $15 and is typically what I buy.
Thanks, everyone, for some
Thanks, everyone, for some great feedback. I learn so much from you!
I have to say, Jason, that your observation about portraying Cub Foods as if it were from an alien universe was spot on, because that's how it feels to me. I also feel the same way about the Mall of America and the Metro Dome, so Lee could be right. Maybe I do need to get out more. ;-)
Thanks again!
Well put, Jason, thanks for
Well put, Jason, thanks for the comment. Your point about meat and organics is well made, but your "alien universe" comment is even better. You're absolutely right. We need to get out more.
My family shops at Cub (as
My family shops at Cub (as well as Target, and we're CSA members) and it's great to have all the organic stuff in one place. We want to buy organic, and so we go to that section. Although we may prefer to buy a local tomato instead of an organic tomato from California. These things aren't easy.
I don't buy my meat at Cub, if you're looking for a larger grocery store meat experience, perhaps you should try Byerly's or Lunds for a subsequent story.
I certainly don't want to tell someone how they should write, but if this is supposed to truly be a guide for people who shop at Cub and bigger grocery stores, it might be nice to not portray a grocery store like it's from an alien universe.
Thanks so much for weighing
Thanks so much for weighing in, folks! Kris, you make a great point about where the organic food is kept - produce aside (thanks for the info, Jeanne!), I feel like the food is somehow being ostracized so that it won't get in the way of other, more prominent brands. There are probably good marketing reasons for this - maybe people who buy organic would rather just shop one aisle than have to walk the entire store, or maybe it's just an extension of the way produce is sold? Neither of these seems to be the case in my experience, but...
Ginger, Kris, and Bill, I really appreciate you mentioning other locations, stores, and the fact that selection varies. It's easy to assume that what we see in one place represents EVERYPLACE within a chain, and it's important to remember that stores are different. It's also empowering to think that we might be able to impact our local store's assortment, even if we can't impact an entire chain.
My go-to grocery store is the
My go-to grocery store is the Cub in Eagan (although meat, cheese and produce, when possible, all come from the farmers market) and as Bill mentioned, there is A LOT of variation between Cub stores. Some of it (as I found out years ago when I moved from Richfield/Edina to Eagan) has to do with the fact that there are corporate and non-corporate stores.
Jeanne's reasoning on the organic produce next to the conventional seems reasonable but I am constantly frustrated that the rest of the organic/natural food (cold, frozen, canned) is in a seperate part of the store instead of being shelved next to the "regular" food. It makes me less likely to pick it up, unless there's something specific I'm going for - like plain non-fat yogurt which my Cub does not carry in any 6 oz brand except organic. Instead of highlighting those foods by keeping them seperate I think they're shooting themselves in the foot and ensuring they sell less of those products.
Thanks for addressing this
Thanks for addressing this topic. I've got a big family and I find that coops often don't meet my needs (e.g., half-gallons of milk won't work in a house that goes through 1.5 gallons each day).
So, I've tried Cub, but have had similar experiences as you've described. I'm so surprised that their organic foods are completely separated from the rest of their assortment (even foods where no risk of cross-contamination exists, e.g., organic milk). Cub's organic selection I've found minimal as well.
Most appalling to me has been Cub's organic dairy pricing -- higher than my local co-op, Lunds, or SuperTarget.
Speaking of Target, I'd recommend them for a better big box, high convenience solution for organic options. They're well merchandised, feature a wide assortment, and are priced competitively. From what I've seen, Target's local assortment is scarce, but organic abounds.
Hey, Shari, Just an FYI: the
Hey, Shari,
Just an FYI: the reason stores don't display organic broccoli next to conventional broccoli isn't just to make it less convenient--it's to prevent cross-contamination between the two. Cuz even though it usually tastes a lot better, organic broccoli looks pretty much like conventional broccoli to the naked eye. Pesticide residues are hard to see.
Thanks for the "investigative reporting!"
Jeanne
Selection differs Cub to Cub.
Selection differs Cub to Cub. For instance, Apple Valley's Cub has a much better natural foods selection than the Dodd/Cedar one just two miles down the road.
They keep their bread in the freezers at Cub. Makes sense I suppose being that the majority of people shopping at Cub buy their store brand bread and the natural ones would go to pot in three days.
I don't buy any meat from Cub unless I absolutely have to. I have had too many experiences opening opaque packages to find that the meat was already bad. Gross.
I tend to buy their Wild Harvest cereals and their free range/organic stocks. My wife prefers their cereal to many of those I can get at the coop and they're usually quite a bit less expensive.
At least they are trying. They might get better eventually but only as their customers begin to demand it.
You are what you eat! Right
You are what you eat! Right now Americans are the big losers in the world, giving way to the Asians - vegetarians, veggies and rice folks! They kick American ass in manufacturing, heavy industry, and supply most the parts for the cars we and the other Asians assemble our cars from! Our sex-sick executives go to Thailand to screw little under-age Asian girls - who eat bugs! Insects! Thats what they live on! and rice on the side! China lagoons humanure, sewage, seeds the lagoons with Carp, eels, then sells the meat! They eat Shiite processed once by fish! China also uses "Night Soil" to fertilize their gardens, then in short order, have fresh veggies for Cities' markets! Yes! They do so! - no large fields for beef, no factory farms stuffing antibiotics and hormones into cows, pigs, chickens to force feed them corn, soybeans, and force digest them in the animal's stomachs! Humanity - an ugly picture indeed! Americans included!