Food for thought in Yuba City

Jordan Cotter struggled with asthma for years.

Despite numerous trips to specialists and countless prescriptions, her family felt it was only masking the now-10-year-old's symptoms. Doctors eventually linked the girl's health problems to diet.

Once milk, wheat and other foods were eliminated from Jordan's diet, her symptoms disappeared.

"You don't put diesel in your gas tank — your car won't run well," said her father, Kevin Cotter. "Your body is the same way."

Proper diet is key to human health, and instead of spending more money on health care than food, the practice should be vice versa, Cotter said.

"Instead of waiting for someone to do something, we thought why don't we take action ourselves," he said.

And the idea for New Earth Market was born.

Cotter and eight other entrepreneurial families have joined forces to start a full-service natural foods store in Yuba City. New Earth Market is slated to break ground in early spring and be open by Thanksgiving.

The 18,500-square-foot grocer and deli is planned to share a parking lot with the future River Valley Family Fitness at Tharp and Butte House roads. Plans call for an island-style deli, grab-and-go salad and sandwich offerings, and juice and coffee bar.

"We want to educate people about how to eat, what is food and what isn't food," Cotter said.

He compared New Earth Market to a Whole Foods grocery store, with a focus on organic, sustainable and seasonal products, harvested within a 100-mile radius. As a former product of the fast food culture, Cotter said he agrees with Michael Pollan, author of "In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto," that people no longer know how to eat.

After changing his family's eating lifestyle to great success, he is trying to spread the message and improve other people's well-being.

Starting a new business in this economy is a little daunting, Cotter said. But the market is also seeing the best construction prices in a decade, and the focus on eating well is growing every day.

"If we do this right, it should be a recession-proof type business," Cotter said.

And he has done his research to ensure this will be a viable venture. The market study the partners conducted reported this is a good area for such a store, he said.

As an investment, New Earth Market was a no-brainer, said Pete Bakis, general manager of Yuba City Racquet and Health Club. The natural and organic food market has gone from zero revenue 15 years ago to a multi-billion dollar industry.

"There are many people that commute a two-hour round trip to go grocery shopping," he said. "There should be something in a 100,000 population area. There should be a choice for them."

And the store's location adjacent to the future River Valley Family Fitness, an expansion of the Racquet Club, will create a synergistic health complex, he said.

"Eating well, nutrition. We've always talked about it in the health and fitness industry but we haven't mastered it," he said. "It all starts with eating better."

Yuba City has a smaller natural foods store with Sunflower Market on Sutter Street, but people have talked about wanting more for years. A group of residents clamoring for a Trader Joe's even started a Facebook page dedicated to the venture.

Cotter's longtime friend Jack Poukish of Sierra Gold Nurseries said one reason he wanted in on the New Earth Market partnership is he is excited as a consumer.

"This isn't going to be a specialty food store or a little boutique, high-end market," he said. "This is going to be a competitively priced natural foods store."

Yuba City is not lacking in grocery stores, but purchasing choices are limited, he said, which is why some residents — Poukish included — drive to Sacramento to go to Whole Foods.

"I am by no means Mr. Health, but if you are at all aware of your own health and you're at all educated about what is going on in the natural food movement ... I think a lot of people are looking for natural alternatives," he said.

Opening a natural foods store in Yuba-Sutter will have its challenges, he said.

"There are a lot of people who just want to stop at Winco and they want the cheapest of the cheap, and they don't care how it was grown or how it was processed," Poukish said.

Twenty fast-food restaurants exist within a one-mile radius of the store's location.

But it does not cost a lot to eat well and local, Poukish said.

"Food is better than any prescription," he said. "This is going to be the vehicle to push that out in our community."

Contact Appeal-Democrat reporter Ashley Gebb at 749-4724 or agebb@appealdemocrat.com.