Specialty Retailers Embody Earth Day Teachings Year-Round

New York-based specialty retailers The Goods Mart, Fresh Direct, and Wildkale, an online farmers' market are embodying the teachings of Earth Day into their everyday operations, emphasizing sustainability, regenerative agriculture, and environmental and personal well-being.

Rachel Krupa, founder of the Goods Mart, a better-for-you convenience chain, sat down with SFA News Daily to discuss what the holiday means to her and her brand.

“Earth Day for The Goods Mart is a moment when we reflect on the small wins we have throughout the year,” she explained. “For example, we look at the number of plastic bottles we have saved from going into a landfill since we do not carry any plastic bottles. We also celebrate the amazing brands we carry that are earth-friendly by using regenerative ingredients, upcycled ingredients, and those that are climate positive and use other alternative means to make their product, such as solar-popped popcorn.”

The retailer incorporates sustainable practices into its core by stocking eco-conscious brands that embed climate-conscious initiatives into their DNA.

Additionally, stores forego merchandising plastic bottles in their refrigerated sections and offer paper cups for hot and cold beverages that are made without a plastic coating, so that they can be more easily recycled.

Krupa remarked on the relationship between health and sustainability: “The brands that focus on sustainable practices also are conscious of the ingredients that they are using,” she said, adding that there is a link between personal well-being and the Earth’s health.

FreshDirect recently revealed a line of products that feature upcycled components to promote sustainability and minimize food waste.

“We are dedicated to addressing our environmental impact across our supply chain, from supporting vendors who work to limit food waste, to working with farmers that employ regenerative meat practices, to prioritizing upcycling methods in FreshDirect’s own kitchen and bakery,” Kavita Thirupuvanam, director of merchandising at FreshDirect, told SFA News Daily. “At every step between the farm and our customer’s plate, we are finding new ways to be an advocate for our environment.”

Upcycled products include:

• FreshDirect Salmon Cakes made with salmon trim, saving approximately 300-pounds of food per month that would otherwise end up in a landfill.

• FreshDirect Cauliflower Puree with Kale Pesto made with cauliflower cores, saving approximately 145-pounds of food per month.

• FreshDirect Banana Bread and Mini Banana Chocolate Chip Pound Cake made with just-past-ripe bananas, saving approximately 1,600 bananas per month.

• FreshDirect Meal Kit–Thai-Style Pork Lettuce Wraps With Rice & Cucumber, made with pork trimmings, saving approximately 135-pounds of food per month.

The online grocer is also highlighting several sustainably-focused products and their brand stories on a dedicated webpage, including upcycled fruit company Rind, coconut water brand Harmless Harvest, upcycled sauce and pantry staple company Matriark Foods, and upcycled fermented beverage brand Spare Tonic.

Wildkale, an online farmers' market connects New York farms directly with customers primarily in New York City and surrounding suburbs, however, the company’s founder, Ana Jakimovska said its shipping radius extends to wherever UPS and FedEx can ship overnight.

The online retail concept offers customers locally sourced grass-fed and grass-finished beef, pastured chicken, and pork raised on organic micro-family farms in New York State.

Wildkale reduces greenhouse gas emissions by removing added steps in the supply chain. It uses a farm’s existing infrastructure and provides producers with the packaging capabilities to deliver their meats directly.

“Sustainability is everything because it doesn’t just support the animal to have a great life. It also supports the land, our bodies, and our nutrition,” said Jakimovska. “The more we support the right way of farming the more we support ourselves.”

She added that supporting these smaller farmers is a way to support the farm’s sustainable agricultural practices and that some of the cow farmers that it supports even feed their livestock homemade fermented hay to promote digestive health.

 “When these animals graze, they also nourish the land with manure. It’s a complete cycle if done correctly," she said.