Whether you’re hoping to decrease your grocery bill, find community or reduce plastic waste, these local alternatives offer myriad solutions.
Marilla’s Mindful Supplies, 661 South Ave. | marillas.com
The minimalist aesthetic of Marilla’s is equally elegant and enticing. The walls (and shelves that line them) are a crisp white, which makes the colorful unpackaged bar soaps pop; neat displays of cleansers, lotions and body oils invite a closer look at their impact on a more sustainable self-care industry.
Handwritten signs on carefully-cut cardboard spruce up the walls, suggesting store favorites with a personal flair. Emblazoned across many of the large jugs and cans of cleaning vinegar, hair conditioners and laundry powder is the Marilla’s tagline, which sums their mission up aptly: “Fill jars, not landfills.”
The store, which sells products with as little plastic packaging as possible, offers free glass containers for customers to fill while purchasing bulk goods like teas and nuts. As a result, they gladly accept extra jars for donation, which can be brought to the front and will be met with a thankful smile — likely from manager Hallie Varenka.
Varenka first encountered Marilla’s flagship store in Geneva (run by Marilla Gonzalez herself). As a fellow small business owner, Varenka was taken with the shop’s dedication to providing practical eco-friendly alternatives in support of conscious, thoughtful consumerism. In particular, she recommends their price-effective spices — fill up a jar for cents on the dollar.
There’s plenty to stock up on at Marilla’s, from standard purchases like bulk spices and plant-based toilet paper to fun additions that line the window sill, like reusable water balloons and all-natural play dough in candle-like jars. There are treats of all varieties, including Varenka’s favorite; fruity pear bubs, which have the consistency of a marshmallow while being vegan and gluten free.
Many of the options the store offers are locally made, including the zingy Sudsy’s hot sauce and shower steamers made by Craft Farm out in Elmira, which offer a soothing aromatherapy blend as a treat for the nose.
Want to spice up a self-care routine? Snag some toothpaste tablets or soap nuts; when they’re gone, Marilla’s has in-store refills. All their refill options are listed online, and if there isn’t currently a product they offer at one location, the store will have it in stock for pickup by request.
Looking for climate-conscious gifts? Free shipping is available for all orders over $75; for under that price point, there is a flat rate, but a portion of shipping costs goes to The Ocean Cleanup, a nonprofit that develops technology to stem trash flow from rivers and remove current plastics that pollute the oceans. —ALYSSA KOH
Lori’s Natural Foods Center, 900 Jefferson Rd. Building 1 Ste. #105 | lorisnatural.com
A pop of sunshine peeks around the corner of the Genesee Valley Regional Market building, but it’s not in the sky — it’s a landscape with bright yellow sunflowers and cows grazing an open field, a mural that spans across the front of Lori’s Natural Foods Center.
Inside, customers are greeted with aisles of products labeled organic, gluten-free or made with vegetables. Looking for a snack? Enter the row of chip bags making a rainbow of colors down the aisle, everything from peperoncini potato chips to cauliflower puffs.
After gathering a few snacks, the journey to find fruits and vegetables begins (for balance, of course). Down the slim produce aisle is a gallery of nature’s artwork with red, yellow and orange peaking through the leafy greens. Next door to the produce is the bulk section, with a back wall featuring seasonings and herbs from adobo to za’atar, along with a variety of nuts, rice and flour. An aroma of jasmine tea and rose hips lingers in the aisle.
The cart is filling up, and the path leads to the back corner of refrigerated and frozen items. Employees smile, ready to answer any questions as they stock shelves.
General Manager Andrew Frackenpohl said Lori’s is not only known for their dancing fruit commercials, but for their vast wellness department. Many supplements, herbs and essential oils are available at the store; some under the store’s own name brand. Frackenpohl was initially drawn to Lori’s 16 years ago because it was a local, standalone store. He also appreciated their care for the community and environmental conscience.
“There’s a lot of good causes that come through these doors,” Frackenpohl said, adding that one of the store’s values is limiting waste.
At the end of a tour through the Lori’s, smells of brewed coffee and hot prepared soup linger by the registers up front. A last-minute snack for the car — a Red Fern jam bar and a kombucha — seems necessary. And after cashing out a cart full of healthy items and waving goodbye to the cows on the mural outside, suddenly, the old commercial tune, “Be good to yourself, shop at Lori’s,” really means more. —MICHALA SCHRAM
Abundance Co-Op, 571 South Ave. | abundance.coop
If there was an award for living up to their name the best, Abundance Co-Op would win it singlehandedly.
Every month, the organic-store-slash-event-space-slash-bulk-goods-provider continues to up their offerings for both shareholding members (who get owner-only deals and an annual vote in the co-op’s initiatives) and standard shoppers. With full online accessibility to shop their growing list of grocery items as well as a constantly diversifying list of workshops and social events (advertised regularly on their social media channels), it’s hard to tell what isn’t in abundance at Abundance.
Want to have your pet blessed by a pastor? The Greek Orthodox Church of the Holy Spirit gave out treats and blessings around Christmastime at Abundance. Have an art project that needs finishing or old clothes to swap? Little Button Craft — right across the street — hosts free community craft nights weekly. Community members are welcome and encouraged to share their talents at Abundance, with everything from chainmail creation to compost classes.
As a way to mitigate the price of groceries, Abundance offers organic bulk goods; these range from the edible (nuts, rice varieties and honey, to name a few) to soaps in jugs big enough to be mistaken for acrylic paint. Shoppers can use their own containers or snag a bag or jar to load up. The co-op also offers discounted prices for purchasing products in wholesale quantities — for example, getting a gallon of soap rather than a standard bottle.
Abundance also offers discount programs for shoppers with limited incomes, such as their FLOWER program, which provides a 10% discount on all regularly priced items for those benefiting from programs such as Medicaid or the Free School Lunch Program. Similar to local Foodlink markets, Abundance participates in the Double Up Food Bucks program, which gives people with SNAP EBT cards up to $10 a day in matched credit for every dollar spent on fresh produce at the store.
The store also gives shoppers multiple opportunities to support their surroundings financially and sustainably. Every month, the co-op chooses a different organization to benefit from their Round-Up program, where shoppers can donate the difference between their grocery total and a rounded-up amount at the register. Past recipients include the Black Community Focus Fund, which supports local black families, and Bethany House, which provides free resources to disenfranchised women. —ALYSSA KOH
Brighton Farmers Market, 1435 Westfall Rd. (Nov. 24 – April 13); 1150 Winton Rd. S. (April 27 – Nov. 16) | brightonfarmersmarket.org
Brighton may be known for its delicious bagels and walkable neighborhoods, but the Rochester suburb also makes significant strides in sustainable living. Established in 2007, the Green Brighton Task Force spearheaded several initiatives, including the ever-popular Brighton Farmers Market.
“Its mission from the beginning has been to support a stronger local food system and to bring people together around the shared experience of enjoying local sustainably-produced food,” said Sue Gardner Smith, the manager of the Brighton Farmers Market.
One visit is enough to see the market succeed in its mission. During the summer months, crowds can be found mingling, listening to live music by local musicians, and shopping the vast array of offerings in the parking lot of Brighton High School. Some shoppers have go-to vendors, while others wander through colorful produce or chase after a wayward toddler.
Unlike most farmers’ markets, Brighton’s operates year-round. In winter, it moves to a newly renovated, expanded barn on Westfall Road, supporting local farmers even after the ground freezes. The market is also working toward making sustainable food more accessible. Members of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) can use their program benefits to buy products and receive bonus dollars on purchases.
Beyond delicious and healthy food, the market fosters community.
It hosts events like a Bike Rodeo, Pride Day, Public Safety Day, and a Juneteenth celebration alongside the regular Sunday gatherings. One of its most extensive yearly events is the Eco Fair, featuring organizations and vendors promoting sustainability. Sponsored by Color Brighton Green, the fair offers tips on energy efficiency, green products, demonstrations of the latest technologies, and student-led projects on alternative energy.
To uphold its local-first mission, the market is producer-only — vendors are required to grow or make what they sell. Farmers must use sustainable or organic methods, while bakers and food vendors are asked to prioritize local ingredients. All 45 vendors are located within 100 miles of Brighton.
“These standards allow the market to offer high-quality, delicious, and healthy foods grown with minimal impact on the health of our planet’s soil, water, and air,” said Gardner Smith.
The market is open 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sundays at the Westfall Road location during the winter season, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sundays at the Brighton High School location during the summer season. —SYDNEY BURROWS
Growing Family Farms CSA, Parma | growingfamilyfarms.com
For those unfamiliar, a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) share is essentially a subscription to a weekly box of fresh, peak-season, locally grown produce. The option offers a sustainable, package-free alternative to traditional shopping or meal delivery kits while also supporting a local farm(er).
Many CSAs, like Growing Family Farms in Parma, offer shares with expanded pick-up locations and an accompanying virtual newsletter featuring recipe ideas (score). GFF CSA members also support organic, pesticide-free, regenerative farming techniques — and in return, they get a weekly curated box with ingredients at their freshest. Think button-sized strawberries in June, colorful and edible nasturtium flower blossoms in July and tomatoes with peach-like juice in August.
As a chef, I am committed to cooking with the seasons, and when cooking with your CSA share, the produce from local farmers will guide you toward preparing meals with peak flavor. Give leeks the spotlight they deserve with a buttery, umami lemon braise atop pillowy whipped cheese. Elevate your next charcuterie board with unctuous lavender and peppercorn pickled strawberries or use a hot honey vinaigrette to make peak summer tomatoes even more irresistible.
Although the most exciting element is one of surprise, a sample box structure could look like: A bunched green (swiss chard, kale or dandelion); an allium or two (scallions, onions, garlic, shallots, leeks, garlic scapes); salad greens (arugula, spinach, baby mustard greens, lettuce mix, baby kale, gem lettuce, romaine); an herb (thyme, sage, oregano, parsley, cilantro, mint, chives, basil, dill); and rotating fruits and vegetables at their peak (including but not limited to eggplant, elderberries, artichokes, radishes, asian pears, melons and peas).
This year, Growing Family Farm’s CSA share is more customizable than ever with three pickup locations — onsite at the farm, at Living Roots Winery downtown and at the Brighton Farmers Market — and two share plans (June 8 to Aug. 24, with an add-on option Sept. 7 to Nov. 9). —NATASHA COTRUPI
This article appears in Dec 1-31, 2024.
