In 1955, T.V. dinners — born from frozen-food technology created for military in World War II — were all the rage, especially as more women worked outside the home.
Preservatives and additives were being marketed with “Mad Men” gusto.
Yet that’s when Margaret and Philip Isely founded Natural Grocers, knowing from first-hand experience that nutritional empowerment and healthy eating were critical to a vibrant, healthy lifestyle.
They went door-to-door in Golden, Colo., with nutrition books and samples of whole grain bread to share their knowledge with their community.
Now it’s 67 years later, and Natural Grocers is still family-operated, growing to 163 stores in 21 states.The company celebrates its anniversary every August in honor of Margaret Isely’s birthday.
For Natural Grocers’ 67th anniversary event August 18-20, customers can enjoy:
- Up to 60% off on 500-plus products throughout the store.
- $128,000 in prizes and giveaways, including a Tesla Model 3, or $47,000 cash.
- Free frozen treats, collectible stickers, chocolate bars, limited-edition reusable shopping bags and more.
The retailer created a list of fun facts, called 67 Things You Didn’t Know About Natural Grocers, including No. 9: The produce department was 100% organic before there was an official “organic” designation and remains 100% organic to this day.
Another fun fact: Automatic timed misters weren’t added until 2010, so crews used to manually water the produce every 20 minutes.
