EVERYONE is welcome to shop at the Good Earth Food Co-op!

 

  • The Good Earth is a cooperative business owned by its members, your friends and neighbors.
  • Established in 1971, our first home was in the Newman Center at St. Cloud State University. For nearly 20 years, the Good Earth resided on East St.Germain. In 1994, we planned our expansion and at the end of the year moved to 2010 Veterans Drive (8th St. No.)
  • The Good Earth’s mission is to offer nutritious foods and other products for the lowest feasible prices and to promote healthful lifestyles, cooperation among food producers and consumers, and environmental quality.
  • The Good Earth Food Co-op supports sustainable, organic, local agriculture and the principles of Fair Trade.
  • The Good Earth Food Co-op actively campaigns for government mandatory labeling of all GMO products.
  • We are a full-service natural foods store with a self-serve deli.
  • We provide efficient, friendly, informative service and support the well-being of our customers.
  • For more information check out the Member-Owner page or contact us for details!

"We are St. Cloud, Minnesota’s Cooperative natural foods market. We have been serving the Saint Cloud Metro community since 1971." 

What Makes a Co-op Different

What makes a co-op unique is that it is owned and democratically governed by its member-owners.  The purpose of our cooperative is not to accumulate profit for investors, but to meet the goals and aspirations of its member-owners.  For this reason, any surplus generated by a co-op is reinvested in the business or returned to the member-owners based on their use of its services.  Membership in the co-op is obtained through the purchase of a member share in the business, which does not change in value (in contrast to publicly traded corporations) and entitles the member to one vote in matters that come before the member-owners.  What also makes the co-op unique is the ability for the member-owners to actively participate in the co-op by joining committees, participating in elections and events, and attending board meetings to voice your thoughts. For more information on your co-op and the cooperative process please email your general manager at amanda.hegreberg@goodearthfoodcoop.coop. 

Our Ends

Because of the Good Earth Food Cooperative, our community is healthier and more sustainable:

  1. Our customers have a source for fairly priced, trusted products that support a healthy lifestyle and a range of dietary needs.
  2. Our customers have a welcoming place to gather that is founded on inclusiveness, sincere connections, and meaningful relationships.
  3. Our customers experience greater connections with local producers.
  4. Our customers contribute to a local, sustainable food system; cultivate a global perspective, and have an understanding of the consequences of consumer choices.
  5. Our cooperative will promote environmental stewardship in its operations and product selections.
  6. Our owners and employees benefit from a thriving cooperative business.
  7. Our local business community is supported by the Good Earth Food Cooperative and its customers.

Adopted: August 17, 2017

Good Earth Values

Customer Service Values

  • As the Customer service representatives of the Good Earth Food Co-op, we strive to provide outstanding customer service that can’t be beaten.
  • Maintain a clean and tidy appearance of staff and store facilities.
  • Greet every customer with a smile.
  • Get to know our guests and member-owners on a personal level.
  • Stay educated on health and nutrition trends in our health food market to better serve our guests needs.
  • Be approachable and free of judgment regarding our guests’ needs and personalized diets.
  • Always take that extra step to make our guests feel welcome.

Packaged Foods Values

  • We are committed to a strong local economy and are constantly seeking out products made or grown in Minnesota.  It is important for us to have integrity you can trust, that is why over 80% of the cold foods department and 45% of the grocery department come from local farmers, ranchers and fishermen; local producers and other local co-ops that we trust.  Making it possible to see where your food comes from and meet the families producing it.  
  • We strive to offer you the highest quality local, grass-fed, pastured, free-range, organic, gluten-free and humanely raised product choices at competitive prices that help support your healthy, ethical lifestyles.
  • Our goal is to offer a selection wide enough to satisfy the tastes and diets of all our customers!
  • You can shop with confidence knowing we mindfully select the highest quality products, with the best possible ingredients.  
  • We are part of P6, helping support our commitment and loyalty to Small, Local, and Cooperative businesses.

Deli Values

The sole purpose of the Good Earth Food Co-op deli is to provide fresh and wholesome prepared foods to the Saint Cloud community with convenience and value.

  • Maintain the highest standard for quality, freshness, and appearance.
  • Maintain the highest degree of cleanliness and sanitation throughout the department.
  • Deliver outstanding customer service through a knowledgeable and conscientious staff.
  • Use local, seasonal, and organic products whenever possible.
  • Commit to having a great flow of communication within our own department, as well as between departments and with the public.
  • Strive to satisfy all customer’s needs for product diversity, including choices for specific dietary needs and vegetarian and vegan options.
  • Maintain a fun and relaxed community environment that nourishes the souls of both customers and staff.
  • Provide an atmosphere for learning, and go out of the way to make sure opportunities for education are followed through with.

Health and Beauty Care Values 

  • Our customers are our priority: because of this, much effort is put into researching the companies and products we put on the shelves.
    • We strive to carry a variety of products to meet everyone’s needs as well as having the quality, price, and service that our customers deserve.
    • If we don’t have what you want we are always happy to check into ordering it for you.
  • Companies matter: whether it is an industry leading brand you can find everywhere or a small scale local producer with unique products we want to offer products that our customer can feel confident about.
    • We always look for socially responsible, sustainable, and ethical companies/producers the Co-op, and our customers, can feel good about supporting.
    • We strive to bring you companies that either having unique offerings or by their business practices make them stand.
  • We strive to have all your daily essentials that are clean and you can feel good about using. 

Bulk Values

  • The bulk department strives to find the finest quality organic and natural products available, and offer them at the lowest feasible prices by purchasing in high volumes.
  • Our goal is to reduce unnecessary packaging to limit waste and promote a responsible and forward-thinking lifestyle based and reducing and reusing.
  • We are devoted to supporting local producers, vendors, and community members by searching out and making partnerships with Minnesota based operations.
  • When searching out both local and global products, the ethical, social, and environmental practices of the company are taken into account when selecting the partners that most closely align with the co-op’s values.
  • If an organic product is either not offered or financially unfeasible, we will find the next best natural product in the same vein, free of synthetic colors, flavors, and with a clean list of ingredients.
  • We strive to maintain a clean environment in the department to bring you the freshest food in the cleanest containers.
  • We take pride in our knowledge of the organic and natural foods in our department and the other departments of the store as well and are always willing to help our customers find the right product or the most accurate information, even if that requires a little research and a callback.

Produce Values

 

  • We emphasize local and organic produce at competitive prices and we work with local farmers to promote the local economy.
  • We encourage sustainable farming practices that help the environment.
  • Most of our producers are located within an 80-mile radius of the Co-op and are mostly family farms that deliver directly from the farm, making our local produce fresher and nutritionally beneficial.
  • We strive for better ways of displaying our produce to improve quality as well as making it look great.
  • We are part of P6, which is a cooperative trade movement that follows the principle of cooperating with small, local, and co-op producers to build a fair food economy.