Over-the-Moon About MOMs
I’m over-the-moon excited about a new market that’s opening up in town: MOMs Organic Market.
True confession: I’m a grocery store zealot. Not just any grocery store. I haven’t shopped in a large chain supermarket in many years. Can’t stand the lighting and my body can no longer tolerate genetically modified, chemical-laden food.
Some will, undoubtedly, call me a food snob. Others will say, “Easy for you to shop organic. I have a family to feed.” For me, it’s a choice. I think we need to begin where we’re comfortable. For me, the choice became imperative when I discovered I had an autoimmune disorder that could be managed with food alone. Clean food. See where organic fruits and vegetables fit into your budget and your life. It may be that you begin with hormone-free milk or a glance at the Dirty Dozen list. Personally, I’d rather invest in (or plant) the freshest, most vibrant food available to me over purchasing a new pair of shoes or the latest piece of technology.
And that’s what you’ll find at MOMs Organic Market. If you’re not local (Northern Virginia or the DC Metropolitan area), please share the most interesting and wholesome markets you’ve enjoyed in your city|state|country.
Reason #1: Impeccable Produce
The staff at MOMs takes painstaking pleasure in prepping the produce so that you are met by a beautiful display of vibrant colors and textures. I can barely tear myself away from the produce aisle.
Reason #2: Lacinato Kale
I am a greens enthusiast. I probably eat more greens than any other vegetable except, of course, chocolate. (It’s a bean, right?) I especially love kale and for me, Lacinato is the most versatile. It’s easy to chiffonade (stacking the leaves, rolling them tightly, and then cutting across the rolled leaves with a sharp knife to produce ribbons). It’s also a little sweeter and more tender. Lacinato kale is not always easy to find but MOMs keeps their greens department well-stocked.
Reason #3 Watermelon Radish?
There is always a new and interesting vegetable to try like Kabocha Squash or Watermelon Radish.
Reason #4 Variety
MOMs Organic Market carries my favorite toothpaste: Organique Himalaya Herbal Healthcare: Neem Pomegranate. Now that’s a mouthful!
Reason #5 Intention
ALL of the produce in this market is organic. I don’t have to dig through piles of conventional produce to find the pesticide-free, non-GMO items. Why? Because there is intention behind every purchase and when intention shows up in a business we see it. High quality organic produce, discount prices, and exceptional customer service is what I get every time I walk through the door.
Reason #6 You Get MORE than What You Pay For
If a head of Romaine lettuce looks a little small, they give you two for the price of one! How can you not love a store that makes sure you are getting exceptional value?
Reason #7 Organic Trumps “Local”
When no other grocery store in Virgina had organic apples on their shelves, I knew I could count on MOMs. I like to support local farmers but NOT if they are spraying their apples with pesticides. Apples are at the top of the Dirty Dozen list. If you’re not familiar with this ranking, be sure to visit the Environmental Working Group website and print out your very own Dirty Dozen, Clean Fifteen chart. Again, it’s a great place to start.
Reason #8 Commitment, Commitment, Commitment
Even the “packaged” foods have a list of recognizable ingredients: no mile-long lists of endocrine disruptors, “natural” flavorings that are anything but natural, or misleading labels.
Reason #9 Beer & Chocolate
There’s always a new and interesting chocolate find to share with my Chocolate for Breakfast fans!
Reason #10 Mission: To Protect & Restore the Environment
MOMs commitment to green, sustainable living goes way beyond the plate. They support the domestic wind power industry. Their mission is to protect and restore the environment and you see evidence of this everywhere. Read about all the initiatives they have in place to educate the public about environmentally conscious living: Think Outside the Bag, Stop the Stuff, Plastic Surgery.
Reason #11 No Lines
There is NEVER a line at MOMs. The minute you find yourself waiting behind someone, another register opens and you are whisked away to the next aisle.
Reason #12 You’ll Feel Pampered
Whenever I ask a question in this store I feel like I have a personal shopper at my side. The staff at MOMs walks you around the store showing you where to find new and interesting items. They even carry your groceries to the car. Not only do you leave the store with an abundance of nourishing food, you FEEL nourished as well.
Where do you live? Do you have a favorite organic market to share? Leave a comment below and be sure to check out Scott’s blog. He’s the founder of MOMs Organic Market. I think you’ll enjoy reading about his journey.
33 thoughts on “12 Reasons to Shop at MOMs Organic Market (or a similar market near you)”
Sounds like a fabulous place, Sue Ann! Thanks for sharing MOM’s, and for the fabulous reasons to eat organic!
Thank you for stopping by, Marissa!
Haha! Sue Ann, I love how you include chocolate as a bean, I guess it is. Awesome to share all the wonderful vibes at MOM’s even the name is groovy. I really hope I can come visit it one day, it seems like a place where you can connect with your food in a meaningful and resourceful way. Also I had no idea about the Dirty Dozen, I am going to research that now maybe I will share that with the region I live in as well. Thank you for sharing, the next time I am in the area, I will be 100% sure to visit MOM’s!
I look forward to your next visit, Nasrine. We’ll have so much to share!
Sue Ann,
I love small mom and pop stores, too! I dread going to supermarkets. I don’t like the atmosphere and can’t stand the waxy feel of the produce. You did give me to something to really think about… I’ve been really trying to buy local, but your input on organic vs. local is challenging me to give this a lot more thought!
Thanks for some delicious food for thought!
All my best,
Marion
Yes, Marion, I have struggled with local vs. organic, particularly when I am doing most of my shopping at the local farmers market. Now, I find the farmers market that has at least two or more vendors who are growing their food without pesticides. They may not be “certified” organic but they must be able to show me there is a commitment to eco-organic practices because my health depends on that commitment. Plus, I always enjoy the conversation that ensues because we’re all on the same page. Thank you for leaving a thoughtful comment.
I’ve struggled with that, too, Marion. Fortunately, for me, there are some very good local farmers in my midst who believe in eco-friendly farming and I am thrilled to be able to support them.
Sue Ann:
I love this post! I, too, loathe going to large, light-filled supermarkets with all their bland and blah food and much prefer specialty food stores. Hence the app I am launching soon. : )
Now I must go and find that toothpaste you recommend!
xo,
Tracey
Ah yes, Tracey, great food minds think alike!
Hi Sue Ann. Your blog came up on my google alerts. I am the founder of MOM’s. Obviously, I think the world of your post!
And it is extremely refreshing to see someone choose organic over local. All things equal, local is good mostly because it’s more fresh, but as far as I’m concerned, any farmer dumping chemicals on his/her land is part of the problem- no matter what the location of the farm.
I have a blog myself where I posted an interesting article on this topic. It’s was one of my first blog posts… scottscompostpile.com.
Cheers!
Scott, I have been a MOMs Organic Market enthusiast for a very long time. Yes, I live in Virginia and drive to Maryland to do my grocery shopping. I know that doesn’t sound like an eco-friendly choice but I make sure to bundle my MD errands together. Your staff, your produce, your intention—EVERYTHING about your enterprise speaks volumes. I hope your Herndon market is a huge success. I can tell you my local clients will be thrilled you’ve arrived, particularly the Ashburn, VA community. I look forward to bringing my clients to your store for grocery store tours. I have lots more photos that I attempted to put in this post without success so I’ll forward to you the newsletter I write as well. Warmest regards! Can’t wait to check out your blog. I’ll place a link to that here as well.
Sue Ann, your article was as warm and inviting as I imagine “MOM’s” to be — sounds like a great place to shop and nurture yourself at the same time!
There’s nothing that even comes close to this where I live, yet articles like yours make me a better shopper — a conscious shopper. I have to admit, I DO give into “cravings” (must have chocolate!) — my “food pyramid” (or whatever it’s called these days) looks nothing like the recommended daily allowances that I’ve seen published because my body doesn’t abide by a “chart.” The cumulative effects of pesticides and genetically altered food take their toll — keep sounding the alarm! You’re not being a snob — you CARE!
I love this response, Kimby. It reminds me how lucky I am to have access to such amazing food sources. I am always interested in the language we use to describe our responses to food. I no longer “give in” to cravings or “fall off the wagon” when I eat something that is not in my usual food repertoire. In fact, I no longer use the word “craving.” I honor my “desires” with the best food I can find. I eat only what I can savor. I celebrate chocolate. My world is so much richer when I follow the wisdom of my body and not the “prescription” of the FDA (it’s not MY plate either, LOL) or the latest food guru. It’s what I teach. It’s what I believe. It’s what I mean when I say my mission is to inspire women to take back their plates, one luscious bite at a time. I posted a question on my Inner Circle page yesterday: When have you aligned yourself with a nutritional system: “I’m a vegetarian, vegan, carnivore. . .” and who would you be without that “identity”? I am so interested in our evolution as eaters. How did we get here? Are we eating from our heads? Are we eating from our hearts? Are we choosing our diets based on deep convictions or beliefs? I want to honor all those journeys as long as we do not ignore the wisdom of our bodies. That’s where I see women getting into trouble—following their head instead of their gut. Their is so much wisdom in our gut. Thank you, Kimby, for sharing your food journey with me. I love hanging out on your blog listening to the sounds of water lapping against the dock and seeing what’s for lunch.
Sue Ann,
I guess you have convinced me to take a road trip to Maryland. I love my Whole Foods at Fair Lakes but you still have to watch what you buy sometimes. I also love the links that you threaded throughout the article… The stuff on Scott’s blog is great. Kale is always one of those iffy choices taste wise, I will look for the Lacinato variety and give it a try. Also have to try a Watermelon Radish.
Off to have a Chocolate Stout!
Matthew
Matthew, we now have a MOMs Organic Market right here in Herndon. Check it out!
Oooooooh this market sounds DIVINE! Right up my alley in terms of how I choose to nourish myself and my family without causing undue harm to the environment, our health, or our natural resources. Love this – if only there was a MOMs in every neighborhood and those big box stores would shift their priority from profits to people and planet.
I have my fingers crossed!
Sounds like a great place, although I do get a bit of knee-jerk reaction to the quaint and cutesy name and apple logo, but hey, I’m nothing if not a healthy skeptic. And Lacinato, aka dinosaur kale? Rocks. My. World. Sweet, succulent, and my juicer devours it to yield the most lovely nectar (mixed with carrots, apples, lemon, celery, and cucumber, of course).
Can’t wait to drag you to O.B. People’s Co-op next time you are in San Diego–you’ll think you’d died and gone to organic heaven!
Your O.B. People’s Co-op sounds like a place I’d like to visit. I’m already in love with your farmers market. That’s where I discovered http://www.salt-farm.com/ and so many more amazing farmers finding ways to grow their produce organically and sustainably. I loved that market. San Diego is lush with foodie finds.
Hi Susan, I stumbled upon your site when doing a search on WFM vs. MOM’s. The information your provided here is spot on, especially about MOM’s impeccable produce aisle! WFM, while they offer some wonderful products, I think that MOM’s offers more in terms of service, quality of products, etc. To me, its how WFM started out, but now, it seems something is lost. I will bookmark your blog and look forward to reading more posts!
Thank you for stopping by Susan. Yes, I feel very fortunate to have a Mom’s Organic Market so close to my home. I used to travel an hour to Rockville, MD to shop there before they opened their Herndon location. Our local WFM is very disappointing. I just don’t see the same commitment to high quality, organic produce or customer service. I don’t want to have to “dig” for organic produce and then be disappointed when I can’t find what I need or the produce is limp. Some WFMs are better than others for sure. I LOVE the one in Boulder! So glad you stumbled in.
I just started coming here this summer! I’m new to organic, but am loving it. I am going to use the pictures on your website for my class if that’s okay with you. What is the watermelon radish… I never tried that!
Would love to hear more about your class and which photographs you would like to use. Thanks for asking! Send me a note through the contact page and we can discuss. Thank you!
I like your article but take issue with your comment about buying all organic being a personal choice. Organic is more expensive because it is more expensive to produce. It is worth more. Some families don’t have the money to buy all organic. Your comment is unrealistic for some families and out of touch. A better approach would be to prioritize what you do purchase organic based on the dirty dozen or some other evidence based recommendations. Good mothers want the best for their children but can’t always afford it. You alienate people when you make such blanket statements.
Thank you, Julie. I completely understand that many people feel challenged by the price of organic produce. I think prioritizing what you purchase based on the dirty dozen list and the environmental working group recommendations is a great place to begin. Planting your own garden is another very affordable way to acquire organic produce. I am amazed at how much produce I can grow in a small container garden.
The goal of this particular article was to acknowledge the amazing job and value that the owner of MOMS Organic Market brings to this community. Thank you so much for sharing your point of view. I would never want to alienate you with my words.
I LOVE MOM’s! One of the best things ever to happen to me was a MOM’S opening up right down the road. Nothing against Whole Foods (I shop there too), but MOM’s is the best. I spend less money and walk out with healthier choices at MOM’s. I just wanted to add that there are other MOM’s in Virginia. This post and the comments read like you have to live in or drive to Herndon or Maryland to find one, and that’s not the case. There is one in Merrifield (Fairfax/Falls Church), for example. So anyone local who isn’t familiar with the store, don’t be put off by that … there may be one closer than you think. They’ve even made it to the Philly area, now.
I need to update this post, Julia, thank you. I wrote it in 2011. In fact, I need to write another one. It’s such an amazing place. Thanks for stopping by. 😉
I came across your article today and it inspired me to spend my lunch at Mom’s. Had a wonderful time and found the most amazing radishes I have ever seen along with a dozen other items.
Thanks!
And everything I wrote back in 2011 still rings true today! I love, love, love this store and the customer service is exceptional, too. Thanks for stopping by and leaving a message. Happy shopping!
Hey Sue, thank you so much for spreading the truth. My husband and I have been shopping at MOM’S for a few month’s now and we have experienced just about everything you’ve said here. Right now over 85% of our shopping is done at MOM’S.
This market remains the highlight of my week. The only thing I purchase elsewhere is fresh fish. I’m so glad you found your way to this article. It’s never outdated! Happy cooking. 😉
Hi Sue, I shop there frequently. Love the rainbow trout. What do you think mare the best buys there? thanks
So sorry I missed your question, Jim. I think their best buys are the produce – I have never seen such beautifully fresh organic produce anywhere else!