Our mission and Core Values

 Our core values shape our culture at Ellwood’s and distinguish us from other natural grocery stores, and we make sure everything we do upholds them.

  • At Ellwood’s, advocacy and inclusivity are crucial core values, and we want to do our part to make our community a more equitable place. Ellwood’s stands behind policies that support fair wages, gender equality, corporate responsibility, and consumer empowerment. We champion other small, local businesses, especially those that are independent or minority-owned.

  • Fillers, toxins, GMOs, and preservatives have made their way into the products sold in conventional grocery stores disguised as “natural” and “fresh” due to inadequate regulations on what food companies can put on their packages.

    We seek out and source the cleanest, healthiest, most minimally processed products from vendors who are open and willing to sharing their processes and ingredients.

    Most of our vendors obtain third party certifications or invite us to their farm or facility to see for ourselves. They don’t just say they’re transparent, they live by it.

    Please feel free to come in, ask questions, read labels, learn about certifications, and let us help you get to know and love the products we choose to represent.

  • Marketing unhealthy food to your children can put pressure on you as a parent, and is something we don’t practice at Ellwood Thompson’s.

    Studies have shown that food and beverage marketing practices strongly influence children’s food preferences and purchase requests. Younger children are especially vulnerable to the marketing of unhealthy food and beverage products that use brand mascots or media characters because they have difficulty distinguishing between advertising messages and factual information. Children develop emotional bond with brand mascots and media characters as if they were their personal friends. These relationships are based on attractiveness of the brand mascots and media characters, and they can influence children’s food choices and diet. Toys and games distract from honest food choices. They come with poor options like fries and sugary beverages.

    The meals we serve our children should be good food. At our grocery store, we’ve removed all products that are packaged to target your children through these kinds of ploys. Instead, we provide ways you can educate your children to help them build a nutritious diet and recognize the merits of a healthy lifestyle.

  • Loss of privacy is loss of control.

    Our customer privacy is important to us, especially in a world where consumer data is being collected and utilized on a larger scale than we have ever seen before.

    At Ellwood’s we do not and will not collect your data without your consent. We pride ourselves on truth, transparency, and a warm, community experience with education around our environment and food. We hope that our customers look forward to coming into Ellwood’s to enjoy a good meal and connect with their neighbors.

    Read more, HERE.

Product Standards: We provide a diverse selection of products with an emphasis on local, organic, minimally processed, sustainable foods.

Food & Product Safety: You deserve food and products with superior standards and clear labeling. We are first and foremost a buying agent for you, not a selling agent for our suppliers. We prioritize health over profits, always.

Environmental Impact: We work to preserve the environment for the next generation by recycling, harnessing solar energy, composting, donating waste, supporting sustainable and regenerative agriculture, and rewarding customers who travel in environmentally friendly ways.

Respect for Stewards: Diversity, equality, and ethical treatment of employees is of the utmost importance at Ellwood Thompson’s. A collaborative management style adds to the entrepreneurial spirit of our employees, breeding all-around responsibility and integrity.

Local Love: The great City of Richmond is our home. We work with local organizations, source local products, and encourage everyone to buy local goods throughout our community. Our market showcases local artists who share our social consciousness and add to Richmond’s rich culture.

Community Consciousness: We stay engaged with the Richmond community by hosting events and supporting causes that reflect our mission and lead to positive change.

Animal Welfare: Animal rights are especially important to us. We only buy from farmers who treat their animals ethically and humanely and don’t use growth hormones, antibiotics, or irradiation in raising them.

​SOURCES

Our Philosophy 

Our mission is at the heart of everything we do.

  • We believe that we can inspire real change through community engagement, starting right here in Richmond and spreading throughout the world like ripples of water.

    Our success relies on the happiness of our employees, customers, and in our ability to build strong, personal relationships within the local community.

    Ellwood’s strives to be a haven where you can go to slow down, escape from the hustle and bustle, and nourish your body and soul.

    Everyone we work with holds the Ellwood Thompson’s mission close.

    We truly believe that by buying local and organic, you’re not only bettering yourself, but the entire community and planet.

    Whether you’re just starting your health and wellness journey, or you’re an expert looking to trade tips, our stewards and partners are here to meet you where you are.

    Drop by the store today and let us help you guide you toward a healthier, happier life.

  • • We believe you deserve high quality food and product choices.

    • We aim to maintain your trust by staying informed and aware about issues affecting food quality.

    • We value our community. We stay socially and environmentally conscious, support local brands, local organizations, and non-profits.

    • We focus on your well-being, providing you with healthy food and products that encourage a healthy lifestyle.

    • We like to stay transparent, current and informative – giving you the confidence to make the best choices as a customer.

  • In 2016, Ellwood Thompson’s took the legal steps to become Virginia’s first natural food store to reorganize its corporate organization to be an official Benefit Corporation under Virginia law. This new legal status means that as part of its corporate and business operations, Ellwood Thompson’s has adopted certain formal values meant for the public good and that align with Ellwood Thompson’s mission in serving the public. The Mission Review Board evaluates how well it is serving its stated values and mission, and provides its assessment along with future recommendations through this Benefit Corp. Annual Report.

    Specifically, Ellwood Thompson’s has created a Mission Review Board that conducts its review and evaluation of how well Ellwood Thompson’s is serving its stated public values. This Benefit Corp. Report is a result of a year- long process to review all aspects of Ellwood Thompson’s operations and to understand where Ellwood Thompson’s is doing its mission and operating by its public values and where it can improve in the future.

    Read More

  • As a health conscious consumer, you like to stay up-to-date with your food and product information, making sure you’re aware of any potential purchasing risks that may impact you. At Ellwood Thompson’s, we strive to help you stay conscious and provide you with as many educational resources and shopping solutions we can. If we can’t find the right food or product option to meet your nutritional needs, we’ll still keep you informed, making sure you continue in the right direction without making any regretful purchases.

  • The need to protect true organic food is more dire than ever.

    Corporate interests, fraudulent imported goods, the inclusion of hydroponically-grown produce, and the dilution of organic standards set forth by the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) all play a critical role in the quality of organic products available to consumers.

    Reports emerge weekly uncovering falsely labeled organic imports from China, Turkey, and Ukraine, and the NOSB is stacked with corporate executives from big brand whose profits stand to benefit from more inclusive standards.

    Here’s our promise to you: We will be your watch-dog.

    At Ellwood’s, we do our homework to ensure that the quality and cleanliness of the products entering our store meets our rigorous standards. We go beyond the label to investigate any potential brands and are quick to seek alternatives if something falls short.

    Want to be a part of the conversation? Check our in-store “Local Food Hub” and our Facebook page for real time updates, articles, blog posts, resources, and educational opportunities.

  • Grocery, Produce, Dairy, Frozen, and Bulk are 100% Non-GMO

    Our grocery (center store) and produce department, dairy, frozen foods, and bulk bins are 100% Non-GMO.

    We removed every product in the grocery and produce department, dairy, frozen section, and bulk bins that contain Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs).

    A GMO is a plant, animal, microorganism or other organism whose genetic makeup has been modified in a laboratory using genetic engineering or transgenic technology. This creates combinations of plant, animal, bacterial and virus genes that do not occur in nature or through traditional crossbreeding methods.

    There is always a risk that a supplier or manufacturer will change their ingredient formulation at any time without notice and introduce a genetically modified ingredient. Our stewards are aware of this issue and actively check our shelves to make sure these products are not brought into the store. If you see a product that contains a genetically modified ingredient, please let us know and we will remove it from our store.

    For more information, see the Non-GMO Project > https://www.nongmoproject.org/gmo-facts/what-is-gmo/

  • "This is the term for food products that are industrially produced, bear little resemblance to the foods from which they were derived, are made with ingredients that can’t be duplicated in home kitchens, are formulated to be “addictive” (“You can’t eat just one”), and are highly profitable. Overwhelmingly, research shows these products to be associated with excessive calorie intake, weight gain, and chronic disease." - Marion Nestle

    Ultra-processed foods are made mostly from substances extracted from foods, such as fats, starches, added sugars, and hydrogenated fats. They may also contain additives like artificial colors and flavors or stabilizers.

    At Ellwood's we believe in a whole foods diet with limited consumption of ultra-processed foods.

  • Hydroponics is the process of growing plants in sand, gravel, or liquid, without soil. We believe that healthy and organic soil is an integral part of the growing process and therefore do not carry hydroponic produce (except for watercress*).

    You may not be able to see them, but microorganisms in the soil have a big impact on human nutrition and health.

    There are billions of life forms in healthy soil. Through photosynthesis, plants create a sugary carbon fuel that supports their own growth. They don’t use all this fuel. 40 percent or more is streamed through their roots, delivering energy to microorganisms in the earth. In exchange, these microorganisms feed plants the mineral nutrients they extract from rock, sand, silt, and clay within the soil. Tiny mycorrhizal fungi supply the plant's roots with water and nutrients.

    Soils with lots of biodiversity have microbes that produce compounds that develop a robust set of defenses. Plants grown in this type of soil are able to fight off disease better than those grown hydroponically or in depleted soil and thereby offer a richer array of phytonutrients to the humans who eat them.

    Soil not only provides nutrients that are essential to our well being but delivers taste. Hydroponic raised produce lacks the complex flavors of organically raised food grown in soil outdoors. Produce needs the soil and outdoor elements to taste as it was intended to and to nourish us.

    We humans are complex biological systems. As we seek out food that nourishes us, we would do well to consider that our health is deeply connected to the biological systems that produce it. From the ground up.

    * In order to grow, watercress must be kept permanently wet. It grows best submerged in water

    For more information watch, Kiss The Ground (available on Netflix https://kisstheground.com/).

Environmental Pledge

At Ellwood Thompson’s, we practice what we preach.

  • We hereby pledge to create and maintain strict, sustainable environmental standards, both personlly and professionally.

    We promise to serve as an example of how practicing healthy living can positively impact both the community and our planet.

    We will reduce, reuse, and recycle.

    We will commit to and encourage the reduction of our community’s carbon footprint.

    We will give back, in every way we can, to our people and to our planet.

  • By selling local goods, we’re not only contributing to our individual health, but also the health of our local economy and our planet.

    The farmers we work with uphold our environmental pledge by committing to organic growing practices, sustainable soil treatment, fair treatment of farm workers, and preserving animal welfare.

    Our local integrity pin marks products that travelled no more than 100 miles to get to our store.

  • We said goodbye to plastic bags in 2008, becoming the first grocery store in Richmond to stop asking “paper or plastic?” By using our 100% post consumer recycled paper bags, Ellwood Thompson’s saves over 200,000 bags a year. Our bag credit program gives you 10 cents back for every recycled bag used during your visits — including plastic. As long as you’re reusing, we’re game.

  • Single-use plastic straws are one of the most pervasive forms of plastic waste, and incredibly destructive to our oceans and environment. Too many, completely unnecessary for beverage consumption, end up in our oceans. They are especially harmful to marine animals and fish due to their small size and lightweight.

    Ellwood’s has replaced plastic straws with compostable straws made from non-toxic, agricultural by-products, and annually renewable plant-based materials. These options require less energy to produce than products made from petroleum and turn fully to dirt within 3 to 6 months in a commercial composting facility. Ellwood’s is partnering with N.O.P.E. (Natural Organic Process Enterprise) to make sure that our biodegradable products are handled correctly and end up in a compost facility for environmentally beneficial use.

  • We love to recycle, and it shows. While many businesses in Richmond use third party companies for recycling, we’ve kept our program in-house since 1989. An average of 60% of our grocery store waste is recycled, and we’re always pushing for more.

  • Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical used in the production of certain plastics that can find its way into your system by creeping into food and drinks stored in BPA containers. We only source from companies that use BPA-free containers, and we’ve banned the use of petroleum-based plastic bags. We even use BPA-free thermal receipt tape at all of our registers. When it comes to BPAs, we run a tight ship.

  • At Ellwood Thompson’s, you’re encouraged and incentivized to purchase reusable BPA-free plastic containers and use dishes instead of throw-away containers. We even offer compostable containers for those on-the-go moments. These options are available in our market, hot bar, plant-based bar, and cafe.

  • As we like to say: “When it rains, it stores.” When you visit Ellwood Thompson’s, you’ll see two 80-gallon rain barrels attached to our gutters outside. They help us water the plants and herbs we grow and sell without relying on the city’s supply. You can even qualify for the Storm Water Tax Credit offered by the City of Richmond using rain barrels at home. Why not save money and help the planet at the same time?

  • On our south-facing roof, you’ll notice a growing number of solar panels, the first of which were installed in 2012 when we teamed up with Richmond-based company Urban Grid Solar. Our goal is to eventually fill the entire roof with solar panels, and we’re well on our way. You can view a live feed of our energy usage and storage by clicking here.

  • We compost our food scraps and leftover pulp from our juicers, along with our compostable to-go containers. Local farmers are always welcome to come take as much as they need. All the leftover compost is taken to a local company that turns it into the organic “compost tea” fertilizer we sell in the summer months.

    We partnered with N.O.P.E. (Natural Organic Process Enterprise) in 2018 to make sure that our biodegradable products are handled correctly and end up in a compost facility for environmentally beneficial use.

  • Our quarter bin program helps us reduce the amount of food we throw out by offering nearly expired items or food (like bruised apples) to Ellwood Thompson employees for 25 cents apiece. We also donate produce to the animals in Richmond’s Maymont Park - giving the animals a delicious free lunch and reducing waste at the same time.

    We make regular food donations to RVA’s grassroots organization, Food Not Bombs. This local organization helps feed the needy every Sunday afternoon at Monroe park. Click here to visit their Facebook page and learn how you can help those in need.

  • Our architects and contractors helped us build our store using locally-sourced and reclaimed materials. We look for durable materials that don’t just boast a “green” image, but actually provide us with a more sustainable way of building.

    We use LED and fluorescent bulbs and fixtures that require less energy to run, give us great lighting, and put out less heat. Not only do they save us energy, but these bulbs and fixtures tend to last way longer than an ordinary bulb. Why wouldn’t we use them?

  • Part of our mission is to play our part in making Richmond one of the most eco-friendly cities in the world, and we like to reward those who choose environmentally friendly travel. We’ll take 25-cents off your purchase when you get to our store by walking, biking, bussing, running, skipping, skating, or any other means of travel that helps reduce emissions. Just mention your mode of transportation to your cashier to get your discount.

  • At first glance, signage may not seem like a big deal, but having eco-friendly signage can be a major step in giving back to our planet. The majority of our signs are made from reclaimed woods or chalkboards, helping us recycle signage by not having to throw signs away every time a deal is updated or a price is changed.