New Storefront Helps Arlington Food Co-op Expand
By Maira Nieto
Posted on July 30, 2014, July 30, 2014

New Storefront Helps Arlington Food Co-op Expand

What started as a hobby soon turned into a business for owners Krista and Micah Grant. After two years of operating from their garage, the Grant's recently opened the Farm to Fork natural food co-op's store at 2001 W. Mayfield Road.

Farm to Fork began when the Grants saw the need to find healthier meat after watching a documentary depicting the meat industry. They started by finding a rancher who would deliver beef to their house if they met a minimum order. They asked friends to order with them in order to meet the requirement. After a few months, they also found a chicken supplier and an Alaskan fisherman who supplied them with wild-caught sockeye. The number of people who were placing orders with the Grants had expanded.

"Before we knew it, our garage was full of freezers and this little hobby was turning into a lot of work," Krista said. "At that time, Micah decided it needed to stop or we needed to be more structured in how we operated. That is when Farm to Fork was born."

Farm to Fork offers grass-fed beef, bison and lamb; pastured chicken and pork; and wild caught Alaskan salmon, halibut, cod and crab. It also carries non-homogenized, low-temperature pasteurized milk from grass-fed cows, and locally pastured eggs among other foods.

"We feel like the biggest victory has been getting clean food into our community," Krista said. "We are just trying to help people make better choices. We are also really proud of supporting our local farmers and ranchers. These guys work harder than anyone we know, and we love that we are able to support them by offering their products to the community."

For anyone who is wary about natural foods but wants a healthier diet, Krista suggests starting with one item and slowly adding more natural food items. The Grants will also share cooking tips with customers who have never cooked grass-fed and pastured meats before. Farm to Fork fully educates its customers in order for them to be completely satisfied with the products they bring home to their families.

"We take pride in doing everything we can to have happy customers," Krista said. "It is our desire to not just have a store, but to create a community of people who are working towards the same goal."

The store is open 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, and 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. For more information, visit www.farmtoforkfoods.com.

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