"Today is always here,’ said Sethe. ‘Tomorrow, never"

–Toni Morrison, Beloved

Of course, this is a purely provocative scenario because the crises that face our modern world are complex and depend on the actions of governments, industry, and businesses. But they also depend on us. So, how do we start believing this at a gut level—a level so deep that it impacts our everyday habits?

We’re not pretending to have it all figured out at Natural Grocers, but here’s what we know to be true: Our menu choices are powerful. They can support food-producing systems that operate in nature’s image and nourish our families. They can support a healthier and more resilient future when they feature food that is produced without synthetic chemicals, concentrated animal feeding operations, and genetically modified organisms. Or, they can support the current system of food production that releases excess carbon from the soil, destroys biodiversity, pollutes water, negatively impacts marginalized communities, and crushes the small family farmer. What do we choose?

As a family and a business, we wield the power of our choices the best we are able based on the evidence. We choose organic, regenerative, humane, non-GMO, and fair trade. We choose pasture-based, genuinely free-range, and sustainably sourced. We choose to prohibit ingredients and processes we believe the evidence shows are harmful to human health and the planet. And we also choose hope.

We pursue hope on farms where organic and regenerative practices restore soil, grow climate-resilient crops, produce competitive yields, and revitalize rural communities. Hope beckons from brands committed to rejuvenating ecosystems, reducing waste and emissions, and providing transparency as they improve year-over-year. We find hope in the power of neighborhoods, the connectedness we share with all life on Earth, and the compounding effect of one small choice after another.

So, neighbors, if it were our last Earth Month to change the future, what if we start with breakfast?

The Isely Family