Q&A: Online sources for whole grains
We haven’t got a whole foods store anywhere near us, so I was wondering
if you could recommend any good online sites that sell whole grains and
other natural foods?
Rosemary
I would imagine there are lots of people in Rosemary’s situation. I remember my Mother-in-law telling me when she lived in a small town in Arkansas how she either had to have her order shipped from Oregon, or drive several hours to a larger city that had a health food store.
I will start out by saying that sometimes your local grocery store carries more than you think they do (and I know, sometimes they really don’t!). But, it’s worth checking to see if they carry items such as: buckwheat, unhulled barely (though most only carry pearl or pot barley), whole rye flour, brown and wild rice, plain rolled oats, millet or quinoa (these can often be found in the bulk section).
For other items, such as wheat grains, spelt and kamut (grains and flours), gluten free flours, triticale (a wheat/rye hybrid), rye berries, oat groats, millet, quinoa, amaranth, or teff, you generally have to find a reputable whole food supplier.
My personal favorite is Azure Standard. They have delivery routes in 11 states: Oregon, Washington, California, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa (hmmm, that’s 10, which one am I missing?). They also ship orders to other locations through carriers like FedEx.
Their bulk grains and flours are an unbeatable value, and excellent quality and freshness. I regularly buy their organic oats, spelt grains and flour, kamut flour, barley flour, millet, quinoa, and spelt flakes, in addition to so many other natural grocery items. They are very much worth checking out, especially if you live on or near a delivery route!
For any Canadians, a great resource is Anita’s Organic Mill. Grains from the Canadian prairies are freshly ground and packaged in Chilliwack, BC. The prices are reasonable, and it’s great to buy more locally whenever possible. Some stores in the Lower Mainland/Vancouver area carry their products, but for many you would either need to go to Chilliwack or have them shipped to you.
One that I’ve seen advertised many times is Paul’s Grains, in Laurel, Iowa. They ship their organic whole grains, cereal grains and flours; all over, and have both bulk and regular pricing.
Does anyone else have any online stores to recommend for either whole grains or natural grocery products?
Hello I order mine from Bob’s Red Mill. Even with shipping they are much cheaper. I have a links on my blog of places I order grains and clean food from
Hugs
Elizabeth
http://www.elizabethsimplejourney.blogspot.com
I have ordered mine from http://www.somethingbetternatural foods.com they are from michigan. It’s pretty expensive to order grains and get them shipped unless you can get up a 450.00 order and have it shipped by their truck. Grains seem to be getting so expensive everywhere these days.
The Bread Beckers (www.breadbeckers.com) in a suburb of Atlanta, GA is the source I use (I actually live 5 miles from their store). They sale a variety of products and have established co-ops in GA, FL, AL, VA, TX, TN, SC, NC, MD, and MO.
I don’t use online- but I found out that in my community there is a food co-op that I joined. I can get all those things you listed and more. Many communities have food co-ops, you have to look around. Often there are jobs to do as part of belonging that are simple but keep the prices down.
Also, don’t be afraid to ask for stores to get things in. I was able to get some things at my local grocery store in, and the manager now orders lots of it since there was a market for it. Same goes for health food/bulk type stores. It never hurts to ask whether things can be ordered.