Her smile was usually framed in bright lipstick, sometimes with a little smear of red on her teeth, and filled with warmth. Margaret Isely's smile could melt ice if smiles ever could… and hearts. It was that genuine, bubbling out of a woman who was always herself. She saw no other way to live than the full-on embracing of it all… struggle and success, loss and love, and the gut-strong belief that the people who crossed her path mattered.

So as we celebrate 68 years of Natural Grocers^® this August, we remember Margaret and the legacy of values she left us. It's how we explain who we are as a business and a family. Our Five Founding Principles are rooted in the ideas Margaret (and her husband Philip) taught us to treasure, both in concept and by example.

She taught us that nutrition is the foundation for wellbeing, and knowledge about it is one of the most important gifts we can give. The Crew was family to her, and she always led with her heart. Generosity and inclusion defined her actions. And from a food cupboard for helping neighbors in need to the one-on-one time she spent with countless customers, a commitment to community wasn't just something Margaret preached. It's how she lived.

She was an advocate in the most active sense of the word, leading grassroots campaigns to ensure access to safe dietary supplements, helping to create organic standards, partnering with functional medicine researchers to bring nutrition education curriculum to medical doctors and so much more. When her fierce passion for protecting human health and the planet's wellbeing was ignited, she didn't take no for an answer. And she taught us to always look for the why—a question that matters in every aspect of our business, from quality standards to crew interactions.

When Margaret and Philip started Natural Grocers, they had little money and hungry mouths to feed. So, making a healthier lifestyle affordable for every family is something we're committed to providing, despite our world's ever-changing landscape. It's a living legacy of who our parents (and grandparents) were and what they valued most.

Thank you, Margaret, for helping people know that they matter. We host our anniversary party in your birth month because everything we have become holds shades of you. And thank you to our incredible Crew, too. We are so grateful you’ve chosen to share your gifts with us!

With gratitude,
The Isely Family