Frequently Asked Questions
At what point should I throw away my food storage and start from scratch?
Here's where we want to remind you that YOU ARE SMART! Storing food follows simple common sense. If a can of peaches has mold growing on the top, or if a can of tomatoes is bulging, that's a pretty good indication that the food isn't edible. If your food looks and smells fine, chances are pretty good that it is fine! If you're worried about things that you can't see or smell, just cook the food thoroughly (make peach cobbler!). Even dangerous micro-organisms can't survive the heat!
How long have you been doing this?
We started this first as a service and then as a little business out of our garage right after Y2K in early 2001. So, it's been nearly 25 years! Our children all grew up doing this every day, and several of them made this their career choice as we continue to grow.
Is all of your fresh produce grown locally?
Since Utah's growing season is very limited, and we like to carry produce for your convenience year-round, we carry produce from mostly California and Arizona when we can't get local Utah or Idaho produce in season.
Is everyone who works here family?
The answer is YES! We understand that what you really mean to ask is, "Why are there always kids running around the store?" Whereas we will likely hire more help, eventually, everyone who currently works here is one of our children or their spouses, and they bring along the grandchildren, who are learning the business at a young age.
Is everything in your store organic?
Whereas we try to source the cleanest products, the bulk of our offering is not "certified" organic. Having said that, much of our product, in our view, is "better than organic" because we know the growers and talk directly to the farmers, and we know their practices and procedures, which allows us to select and sell the cleanest produce we can find at affordable prices.
Is your fresh produce sold only in bulk?
We sell our produce by the individual item or pound count, as well as in bulk. Often, we get produce that is reduced for quick sale and is marked down drastically, but we bring in fresh, "perfect" (is produce ever completely perfect?) produce several times per week.
What are you going to do with all of this space in your new store?
We have a grand vision for our new facility - it includes some of the following:
The Kitchen Table Café - reminiscent of Grandma's kitchen, with healthful, fresh-food options.
The Sage Center - where we will bring in experts from many fields to teach all things self-reliance.
The Holistic Clinic - here we hope to bring in many holistic practitioners in a rotational-type schedule to give you broader options with regard to your health and well-being.
The Harvest Barn - the place where you will be able to come rent our dry-pack canning facility.
DIY Life Events - Another effort to gather families and friends: we hope to have a whole line of equipment available for rent to facilitate your next big gathering.
The Farmer's Market - where we will gather crafters and gardeners from all over the valley so you can truly "one-stop shop"!
The Daily Basics - an anticipated expansion of our regular product offering for those who live close by and don't want to go so far for a gallon of milk or loaf of bread!
For a more comprehensive list of features, kindly visit our "New Store" page!
What if I still have questions?
We love questions! That's how we learn! In our vocabulary, there's no such thing as a "dumb" question. Please feel free to call or text us at 801-319-9111. We also do personal food storage consultations and are happy yo discuss other questions you may want to discuss in person.
What if I’m gluten-free and don’t want to store wheat?
More than half this world eats rice and beans! Combining grains and beans makes a complete protein. And there are so many great gluten-free varieties of both. We also carry some delicious gluten-free pastas!
Another alternative for those who are more comfortable when they don't eat wheat bread is to bake bread with a natural leavening (think sourdough without the sour!) rather than using traditional yeast. This information has been a game-changer for many of our customers. Check out our "Classes" for more information on baking delicious natural-leavening bread and other baked goods!
What is the shelf life of the products here and on my shelves at home?
Here are a few rules of thumb:
Whole grains store really well - almost indefinitely - when stored in decent storage conditions.
Beans don't store as long; however, old beans soften right up when cooked in a pressure cooker.
Pasta also stores for many years - at worst, it may taste a bit stale when you cook it.
Oils as a rule don't store very well; however, olive oil in tins and coconut oil have been found to store much longer - 15 plus years.
Sugar and Salt are natural preservatives, so they last indefinitely, and products with high salt or sugar content also store quite well.
Water stores just fine for a long time in a good water barrel, if you're storing city water that has been treated with bleach.
Brown Rice is great to store if you want the good nutritional benefits! If it does go rancid, rinse it in hot water and the rancidity is GONE!
Freeze-Dried foods store a very long time - great shelf life, especially for fruits!
Nuts. andSeeds store best in the freezer - they will stay fresh for years that way!