While I loved the idea of Wheatsville, a food co-op that actively supports local farms and food producers, I never really felt comfortable there. It felt small and cramped and my goal was always to get out quickly.
On Saturday, Wheatsville unveiled it's long awaited upgrade after many months of construction, and it was worth the wait. The expanded store is bright and open and there is enough space for two adult humans to stand in the same aisle.
I was particularly impressed with Wheatsville's attention to local vendors. As we are currently in
low growing season, I'm going to reserve judgment on the limited number of local produce items (there were 3-4 local growers represented that day). I'm assuming that as our growing season
improves, so will the local choices at the store. Because of the attention they have paid to highlighting local products in other sections, I'm guessing they haven't overlooked the produce.
It was easy to find local products throughout the store. The "Locally Made"Texas tag is easy to find on the shelves of the packaged goods and there is an entire cold case of locally raised meats. I was delighted to see the selection of Thunderheart Bison, Richardson Farms beef and pork and Bastrop Cattle Company selections.
The seafood department also highlighted which selections were
sustainable which takes out the mystery of what has become a precarious task - picking seafood that won't raise your dining partners' eyebrows.
I still love my H-E-B and Central Market stores, but I'm very happy to have a new and improved Wheatsville in my market mix. As a matter of fact, I went back on Sunday to grab just a few things for a salad that night. Easy, organic and local - very nice.
