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Where food tells a story and farmers are rock stars
October 5, 2026
APPLETON – Natural Grocers recently invited the community to its newest location, as the Appleton grocery store held its grand opening Sept. 30.
As a community-based grocery store, Natural Grocers provides 100% organic produce, vitamins, supplements, body care and free nutrition education.
Located just off Casaloma Drive and Integrity Way, at 720 N. Casaloma Drive, the store is Natural Grocers’ second location in Wisconsin.
“We’re thrilled to open our doors in Appleton and welcome the communities of the Fox Valley to Natural Grocers,” Vice President of Marketing Raquel Isely said. “This location allows us to better serve individuals and families seeking affordable organic groceries, free nutrition education and high-quality products that meet our rigorous standards.”
Isely said Appleton stood out as a growing community with a strong sense of local pride and a quality-of-life mindset that aligns naturally with the company’s values.
“Following the opening of our Lake Geneva store earlier this year, we’re grateful for the opportunity to continue growing in Wisconsin and building meaningful connections in communities that value health, affordability and friendly service,” she said.
A foundation grounded in nutrition education
According to the company’s website (naturalgrocers.com), Natural Grocers began in 1955, built from the ground up by Margaret and Philip Isely.
Starting with just $200, the couple envisioned a way to make healthy living more affordable and accessible.
Shortly after the birth of their second child, Margaret became ill, and when conventional medicine was unable to help her, she turned to the health mavericks of that time: Adelle Davis and Roger J. Williams.
She used the principles in Davis’ book, “Let’s Get Well,” to heal her body with nutrition, which included eating nutrient-dense, natural foods and taking dietary supplements.
After she experienced an improvement in her health, they went door-to-door in Golden, Colorado, lending out books on nutrition and giving out samples of whole grain bread.
The website further states that the Isely children said their parents taught them that nutrition education is the foundation for building health and being in control of one’s life, and that healthy living should be affordable.
The Colorado-based company has now grown to 174 stores and counting, located throughout 22 states.
Marla Newbury, managing director of marketing at Natural Grocers, said the store offers shoppers access to high-quality organic and natural groceries, including 100% pasture-based dairy products and free-range eggs, 100% non-GMO prepackaged bulk goods and household essentials.
She said the company also prioritizes humanely sourced and sustainably raised meats, as well as what the company considers natural, innovative and ethical body care products.
Newbury said the company also has more than 6,000 products in its supplement department, with greater than 80% manufactured in third-party Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) certified facilities.
“Natural Grocers is also passionate about ensuring that its employees can live a healthy, balanced life,” she said. “The company is committed to positively impacting its employees’ physical, emotional and financial well-being with free nutrition education programs, benefits and access to high-quality, affordably priced products.”
Newbury said customers will soon have direct access to personalized assistance throughout their health journeys as well, with an on-site nutritional health coach set to join the staff once their training is complete.
“We want to ensure our coaches are fully prepared to provide credible, science-backed guidance and personalized support our customers expect,” she said.
Once training is complete, Newbury said the coach will offer free services that may include one-on-one coaching sessions, personalized shopping trips, nutrition education classes and local community outreach.
“We look forward to introducing the coach to the Appleton community and will share additional details once the training process and start date are finalized,” she said.
Creating an intentional shopping experience
When it comes to organic shopping, Newbury said public perception can be dominated by the stereotype that shopping organic is financially prohibitive.
At a time in history when shoppers see their grocery store receipts increasing in cost with seemingly every trip to the store, she said Natural Grocers fights that misconception in a variety of ways.
“Since our founding in 1955, we have focused on making high-quality organic and natural products accessible and affordable,” she said. “In fact, ‘Always Affordable Pricing’ is one of our five founding principles.”
Newbury said the smaller-store format allows the company to offer a carefully curated selection rather than overwhelming customers with dozens of nearly identical choices.
“We also provide strong values through Natural Grocers Brand products, everyday pricing, monthly specials and our free {N}power rewards program,” she said. “Rather than asking members to accumulate points toward unrelated purchases [like discounts at a connected gas station], {N}power offers discounts, special pricing and rewards on groceries, supplements and other products they already use.”
Newbury said that affordability also means helping customers make informed decisions.
She said the company’s free nutrition education, in-store classes and personalized coaching can help people shop according to their needs, priorities and budgets.
“We want customers to know that choosing products that align with their values does not have to feel exclusive or out of reach,” she said.
Restoring consumer confidence
In recent months, U.S. consumers have also been saddled with multiple recalls – from lettuce to berries and beyond – and Newbury said it has left them increasingly cautious of what’s on grocery store shelves.
She said the Natural Grocers team understands why food recalls and complicated ingredient labels can leave shoppers feeling uncertain, and the company believes gaining consumers’ trust begins with transparency and strict product standards.
“Every product we carry goes through a screening and approval process, and our quality standards team continually evaluates ingredients and emerging research,” she said. “Our grocery standards do not allow artificial flavors, preservatives or sweeteners, synthetic colors or partially hydrogenated or hydrogenated oils.”
Newbury said the company’s standards extend across departments, including meat, seafood, dietary supplements, body care and household products.
The company mantra, she said, is that they read labels so their customers don’t have to – though they always encourage shoppers to remain informed.
“The goal is to make it simpler for customers to walk into one of our stores and feel confident the products on our shelves have already met standards that go beyond basic regulatory requirements,” she said.
Supporting its neighbors
Doing good for the communities it serves is also part of the company’s mission, Newbury said.
As part of its commitment to the Appleton community, she said Natural Grocers will support Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin through its Bring Your Own Bag Program, donating 5 cents for every shopping trip in which customers use their own reusable bags.
“The program encourages sustainable shopping practices while also helping support the organization’s mission of serving neighbors facing hunger across 35 counties,” she said.
According to its website (feedingamericawi.org), Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin is the largest hunger relief organization in the State of Wisconsin, with food banks in Milwaukee and Appleton.
In collaboration with nearly 600 pantry partners and trusted community-based programs, the organization provides nutritious, high-quality and culturally relevant food to neighbors facing hunger across its footprint.
“We’re very grateful to Natural Grocers for its generosity and for being a committed partner in helping address food insecurity,” Monique Kelley, Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin president and CEO, said.
An approachable path to health
For shoppers who may find the world of organic food overwhelming at first, Newbury said company leaders don’t believe healthy living has to be an all-or-nothing proposition.
She said every organic purchase is a meaningful choice, with produce being a great place to begin.
“Choosing USDA-certified organic food supports farming practices that prohibit genetically modified organisms and the use of most synthetic pesticides and fertilizers,” she said. “It also supports healthier soil, waterways, farm communities and a more resilient food system. These benefits extend beyond an individual shopping trip.”
If someone is looking to add more organic groceries and products to their weekly grocery list, Newbury said she recommends taking an approachable, step-by-step path.
“Start with the foods your household eats most often and build from there,” she said. “At Natural Grocers, customers will always find a produce department that is 100% USDA-certified organic, so there is no need to search through signs or labels to distinguish organic produce from conventional options.”
Moving forward, Newbury said the Natural Grocers team hopes the Appleton store becomes much more to its customers than a place to buy groceries.
She said she wants it to be a trusted neighborhood resource where customers feel welcomed, can find high-quality products at affordable prices and have access to free nutrition education that helps them make informed choices for themselves and their families.
The company, Newbury said, is also excited to become an active member of the broader Fox Valley community through its commitment to Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin and its Fox Cities Chamber membership, as well as the developing relationships with its employees.
“With Lake Geneva and now Appleton, we are grateful for the opportunity to establish deeper roots in Wisconsin,” she said. “Our immediate focus is on serving these communities well, building meaningful local relationships and earning the trust of our new neighbors.”
