Sustainability

Wild Oats Supports Sustainable Living

Wild Oats was founded in 1982 by a small group of people with a big goal — to incorporate sustainable living practices into the way they fed themselves and their families. They wanted access to food that was grown and produced using natural and organic methods, that used minimal packaging, and that was grown or produced locally whenever possible.

Support for Sustainable Farming Practices

Wild Oats Market offers a range of produce, cheeses, meats and other items from small local farmers who practice sustainable farming, such as Wildstone Farm in nearby Pownal, Vermont, which celebrated its 20^th anniversary as an organic farming operation in August 2009, and Black Queen Angus Farm in Berlin, New York, a grass-fed beef provider that has recently begun to offer naturally raised pork. For a list of the local products that Wild Oats offers, please click here.

Wild Oats is always looking for new sources of local foods and foods that are raised using sustainable methods. We sample products on a regular basis and invite our local providers to demo their products at member days and other store events, so our members and customers can try them, ask questions, and provide us with their feedback. Whenever possible, we use local and organic ingredients in the deli items and baked goods we prepare for sale in the store, as well as in the dishes we prepare for catered events. We also offer a selection of Fair Trade products, including coffee, tea, cocoa, chocolate and bananas.

We believe our support of local farmers and sustainable farming practices has many benefits, beyond providing our members and customers with nutritious, delicious food choices. By carrying local products we strengthen the local economy, helping our community to sustain itself. By offering products raised sustainably, we contribute to our planet’s ability to renew itself. By carrying local foods at affordable prices, we help make fresh and healthy food available to all regardless of their income level, which also helps our community sustain itself, literally.

A Sustainable Energy System for Heating and Cooling

Wild Oats Market uses a system of heat reclamation to heat the store entirely through reclaimed energy. The design of the store’s HVAC system allows it to harness the heat from our refrigeration equipment and return it to the store area as heat is required.

Here’s how it works: The compressors that are used to refrigerate our coolers produce heat as they run. The heat from the compressors is captured in a confined mechanical room. The HVAC system uses dampers and fans to remove the heat from this room and distribute it to the store. Wild Oats’ heat reclamation system enables us to heat our entire building throughout the long, cold New England winters.

Our HVAC system is also designed to keep the store cool during the summer months without the need for a separate air conditioning system, by exhausting the heat that is collected in the mechanical room to the outdoors, and by monitoring humidity, temperature and refrigerant levels throughout the building to address changing load requirements accurately and in an energy-efficient way. Our specialized HVAC equipment maintains humidity levels of 40-45 percent RH at 70 degrees store temperature. In summer, the lower humidity and consistent store temperature provided through our HVAC system remove a considerable portion of the energy load from our refrigeration equipment.

Product Packaging

Wild Oats believes strongly in the benefits of bulk buying. Our bulk department is not only an economical place to shop; it also provides people with the opportunity to purchase foods with minimal or no packaging. Unlike packaged products, which most often come wrapped in layers of colorful packaging, bulk foods are purchased in a simple, recyclable bag or container that is just enough to hold the product.

Wild Oats reuses egg cartons. We are always grateful to our customers who return their cartons, and so are our local egg sellers!  We encourage the use of reusable bags and offer several varieties for sale.  

We also encourage our members and customers to suggest ways in which the store can further support a sustainable environment and lifestyle for all. Please share your ideas with our general manager, Michael Faber, or drop a note in the suggestion box at Customer Service.

For the past two years, Wild Oats Market has hosted an indoor/outdoor celebration in honor of Earth Day. Local farmers, organizations and businesses involved in environmental issues participate in this event, which includes food demos from local producers, displays and interactive presentations on the environment, baby animals from our local farms, and practical advice and information on how we can help the environment at the local level. All are invited to our Earth Day Celebration, and our many other store events, which are publicized in our newsletter, through emails, and on our web site.

Wild Oats frequently participates in events sponsored by other organizations, many of which have an environmental focus. In 2009, we took part in another Earth Day event organized by MCLA’s (Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts) Environmental Studies Group, and we participated in the Williamstown community’s celebration of the International Day of Climate Action. Wild Oats has also worked with Williamstown’s COOL Committee to promote ways that residents of the community can save energy. We support environmental causes and organizations within the community through donations, and we are always open to suggestions from the community on ways in which the store can promote sustainable living practices.

The Eat Local Challenge

For the past two summers, Wild Oats Market has encouraged members of the community to become localvores for one month (or less than that if they choose) by participating in the Eat Local Challenge. In 2009, we challenged those who were relatively new to the localvore experience to prepare one meal out of every three using local foods. For more experienced local eaters, we raised the stakes to two out of every three meals. We opened and closed the challenge, which took place from July 16 through August 14, with a delicious “local foods BBQ” featuring grass-fed local beef and corn that was picked that day. To encourage people to sign up for the challenge, we made everyone who signed up eligible for a raffle, which was drawn on closing day and consisted of – what else but – a basket of delicious, nutritious local foods, all available at Wild Oats.

Co-ops across the country participate in the Eat Local Challenge. It’s a great way to expose yourself to the local foods in your area, support local and sustainably practiced agriculture, and enjoy healthy meals made from fresh, delicious foods that you know you can trust.