Can you tell me what local health food stores you have?

Don't get too hung up on the 'organic' label.

You can get very good product that have been grown without use of chemicals (though technically, manure counts as a chemical additive) - but that doesn't have the 'organic' label. It's a very very political subject in the 'health food' area - as is the phrase 'health food' in itself. Organic doesn't necessarily mean better or healthier, just as 'health food' is often not healthy at all. Know your product - ignore the label - if you can.

I'm not entirely hung up on 'organic', although I tend to buy organic. But, if people don't explain how they grow their crops, I assume it's with pesticides and such.

Maybe shewolf should define her term "health food".

I do really find this all very interesting, virtually all my life I have lived on a farm/ranch whatever, essentially growing all the food we ate from fruit to veggies to meat. I suppose it was about as "organic" as one could get. The area I lived in was once very prosperous with other small farms (usually called truck farms) doing essentially the same as I and selling their produce to various markets. Then along came "ORGANIC HEALTH FOOD" marketing and we all went belly-up, the farms were sub-divided and suburbanized. So the popular market gave up resaonable priced and yummy food that kept the "truck farms" going and instead opted for mass market agra business and ORGANIC labeled products. I say the consumer destroyed the best thing he had (good quality food) in favor of really good marketing techniques. Flash over substance.

I support the truck-farming, if that's what they are, at farmer's markets. I buy most of my fruit and vegies (herbs too) at those in-season.

Missoula, Montana

The Good Food Store
1600 S. 3rd St. West
Missoula, Montana 59801
(406)541-FOOD

This is a great supermarke size store with a beautiful produce department, bulk spices herbs and basics (oatmeal, grains, nuts etc), canned, frozen, supplements, cosmetcs etc, etc. All are organic and wholesome. They even have a little deli-restaurant.

You are right ebeth, organic is not superior. It is a label that people buy into more often then not , and with out any research.
but... this is the crowd I want to cater to with my book.. hence the whole organic or health food referrance.
When I think health food store ( in my mind) i think of someplace that offers things you normally would not find in a grocery store. Bulk grains, rice, beans, nutritional supplements, bars, drinks, more soy based products, gluten free products.. etc.
make sence?
You can find these things at regular grocery stores, yes, but 'health food stores' have more of a variety. They carry diffrent brands of ( for example ) gluten free breads.
My husband has a gluten intolerance. Actually.. not just the gluten, WHEAT all together. Strange thing !
So we have to watch each and everything we buy. Health food stores have more options and more brands that are sensative to these kinds of needs and you can pick and choose what you like.
That is my defination of a health food store.