Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
GODFREY - The FarmStore at Theodora Farms is once again open for the season.
Starting on Tuesday, May 7, 2024, the FarmStore will resume operations at 4835 N. Alby Road in Godfrey. The store will sell the organic produce grown at Theodora Farms, in addition to cheeses, ice cream, teas, spices, skincare products and more items from local vendors.
“It’s going to be a little bit of what people expect in there and a little bit of different, new things,” said Allyssa, who oversees the FarmStore. “I’m just excited to talk with everybody and see what they’re looking for and see how we can meet their needs.”
Theodora Farms grows USDA-certified organic vegetables and herbs in Godfrey. The attached FarmStore acts as a grocery store, selling these products as well as the other staples that people need, all locally-sourced.
Megan, the farm operations manager, noted that all of the food is fresh and straight from the farm. She pointed out that this is one of the big benefits of buying from a local place like Theodora Farms and the FarmStore versus a big box store.
“If you think about the freshness and the quality of our produce, it is hyperlocal,” she added. “We’re rinsing and packing the stuff today and it’s going to be available for sale tomorrow, so the shelf life is going to be much longer than anything you’ve gotten flown in from the coastlines, because it’s in boxes, it’s in a truck, it’s maybe been on an airplane, it’s sitting in a warehouse. But at the store, it’s really deep quality.”
Megan and Allyssa noted that even the bug spray they use is organic. Every product that touches the crops is OMRI-certified, meaning it passes guidelines set forth by the Organic Materials Review Institute to be used on organic crops. As soon as they start seed-sowing in February, they grow their crops with utmost care.
People point out that organic food is typically more expensive than nonorganic produce. Megan and Allyssa hear this, and the FarmStore accepts Farmers Market Nutrition Program vouchers. They are also working to get the FarmStore certified with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). They believe that organic food is an investment in your health.
“When you’re buying organic, it is typically a higher market price because there are a lot of costs that go into taking care of the plants so we’re not consuming chemicals,” Megan said. “If you’re buying a cheaper radish or something that's not organic, those hidden costs are in your health. You’re paying for those things in other ways.”
This is why the FarmStore sells organic produce from Theodora Farms and other products like nontoxic cleaning supplies and pasture-raised chicken, pork and beef. They also have products from local vendors, including Mississippi Mud Coffee and Confluence Kombucha.
The FarmStore is open from 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and 10 a.m.–1 p.m. on Saturdays. Theodora Farms will also host an opening event on Saturday, May 18, complete with live music, artisan vendors and plenty of fresh produce for all to enjoy. You can learn more about this event at their official website at TheodoraFarms.com. In the meantime, Megan and Allyssa encourage people to come check out the “cute little FarmStore” and see for yourself.
“It’s really a lovely harmony between what they’re doing [in the Theodora Farms fields] and what we’re offering at the FarmStore,” Allyssa added. “We’re just trying to give a little bit of something to everybody if we can.”
You can visit TheodoraFarms.com or check out their official Facebook page and Instagram profile for more information about everything Theodora Farms has to offer.
More like this:
