The Root: Thanks for your support

Thank you!

It's hard to believe that next weekend we will celebrate our second anniversary at New Earth Market. What an amazing adventure these past two years have been! This week I would like to reflect a bit about our journey and open up about some things we have learned.

I am often asked why we built New Earth Market, given that we knew nothing about natural foods or the grocery business when we started this journey back in 2008. The idea for the market was born out of adversity. I tell my daughter all of the time, if is wasn't for her asthma and food allergies we would probably still be on a diet of processed fast food. Her adversity not only helped our family eat better, it was the catalyst to build our one of kind market in Yuba City.

The desire came from a place of love and passion for people in the community my children and I were born and raised in. We simply wanted to open doors and provide an opportunity for folks to explore a healthier way of living. With enough drive and positive attitude, we knew if we surrounded ourselves with the right team, we would could make a go of it.

Our New Earth family learned early on not be afraid to take a chance or to make mistakes. This is when we have seen the most progress at the market. Our mistakes have been springboards toward something greater. The key is to recognize and honor these mistakes and not hide from them or let them stop progress. I would argue that some adversity is a good thing in life. It prevents us from being complacent. It helps us appreciate what we "do" have rather than what we "don't" have.

We are always learning from our customers. What works for them and what doesn't. I love hearing the success stories. Just this past week I had a customer state "Since I started eating here, I see life in living color. I thought I felt good before ... but know I know what feeling good really feels like."

I often joke that we built the market to be a grocery store that had a deli in it. As it turns out, we built a deli that has a grocery store in it. What a wonderful sight it is to see folks every day coming together to have conversations over a shared meal.

We at New Earth Market would like to acknowledge and say thank you to our community for supporting us. On March 9 we invite you to our anniversary celebration. We have several local food vendors offering free tastings, free educational classes will be held in the Harvest Room, and Recology will be offering free compost for your garden.

We will also be accepting electronic waste (e-waste) for free, courtesy of Sims Metal. As an expression of gratitude for your loving support, everything in the market will be on sale.

Thank you!

Please remember to practice good self care this week.