We're a Helena business with a simple mission: to bring you healthy sustainable food. We have all the foods you need to eat, including organic produce, fresh Montana-grown meats and an award-winning deli, along with bulk foods, dietary supplements and one of the best selections of bulk herbs, spices and teas you'll find anywhere.
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Our store was conceived in 1975 at the Feathered Pipe Ranch by India Supera and Laughing Water. At the time the Ranch was just beginning its operation as a yoga retreat, and it needed a source of healthy food. Here's how it started and grew. And an odd couple it was.
India Supera was an early hippy who dropped out of high school, hitched her way to the Far East, nearly died in Pakistan, overcame opium addiction and found her guru in the miracle man of India, Satya Sai Baba.When she was barefoot with a begging bowl in the Himalayas, Paul Superak (now known as Laughing Water) was doing physics problem sets at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
India Supera was an early hippy who dropped out of high school, hitched her way to the Far East, nearly died in Pakistan, overcame opium addiction and found her guru in the miracle man of India, Satya Sai Baba.When she was barefoot with a begging bowl in the Himalayas, Paul Superak (now known as Laughing Water) was doing physics problem sets at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
We have a three-fold mission: maximizing personal health, regenerating the natural world and nurturing a more compassionate society. These three aims can form an inseparable whole. Health-friendly foods and Earth-friendly foods overlap, and they're a natural fit with business models that embrace fair trade, family farms and locally-owned businesses.
But that's just one way we, as an independently-owned local business, put people before profit. It's hard to be healthy in a sick world. We believe in caring for the Earth as if our lives depend on it, because they do. That includes supporting fair trade and regenerative agriculture so more people around the globe can live in harmony with the natural world.
Are you looking for more than a job, more than a career, but a special place as part of a dedicated team with a sense of mission? Great! That's what we want to offer you here. In particular, our supplement manager plays a key role in our store with starting pay of $18 per hour, potentially higher if you have qualifications such as a formal education in nutrition, medicine or a related field in addition to leadership and customer service skills.
We're here to help you find a product that meets your needs from among the 10,000 products we've fit into a 14,000-square-foot store. We're also happy to special order products you're looking for from the virtually limitless selection our suppliers can offer. Generally we can special order supplements and body care products by the single unit (bottle).
Reviews (26)
Wesley Agen
Jan 28, 2022
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Pamela In The food bar is amazing!!! She is so kind and that makes me want to come here more! Not only do I love all your yummy gluten Free food! It’s safe and I have no worries with me getting sick due to me having celiac disease. But Pamela is compassionate and kind. You can tell she truly enjoys her job plus making peoples day! What a great employee you have!
G. P. Younger
Jan 14, 2022
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Eric Walliman
Jan 03, 2022
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Samuel Harworth
Dec 04, 2021
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Mel W.
Sep 22, 2021
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Gilbert M.
Jun 14, 2021
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Last man standing in town forcing people to wear face diapers. Ace Hardware stopped, you should too! You're not a hospital, but you need a mental one.
Supplement department is a joke! I've seen the same expiring product on the discount shelf for months only marked down maybe a few bucks. Then only to get pulled before the month of, IT'S STILL OKAY TO SELL THROUGH THE MONTH OF EXPIRATION! Â here is the solution: MARK IT HALF OFF YOU MORONS!. Badly run supp-department. No wonder peeps shop at Natural Grocers. At least NATTY G will mark it down HALF-OFF, SOMETIMES 75% OFF like a normal
Supplement department is a joke! I've seen the same expiring product on the discount shelf for months only marked down maybe a few bucks. Then only to get pulled before the month of, IT'S STILL OKAY TO SELL THROUGH THE MONTH OF EXPIRATION! Â here is the solution: MARK IT HALF OFF YOU MORONS!. Badly run supp-department. No wonder peeps shop at Natural Grocers. At least NATTY G will mark it down HALF-OFF, SOMETIMES 75% OFF like a normal
Bryan Kleinsasser
Apr 30, 2021
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Eva Landry
Mar 18, 2021
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Big Sky Skinz
Jan 13, 2021
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I LOVE their salad bar/deli. It's a great place all around.. Had a truly disheartening experience with an associate named Julie awhile back. We shared the same name(Julie)and mentioning this offhandedly while asking for direction to the stores Primrose oil, this person looked at me like I had literally offended her by having the same name..Or mentioning it? I couldn't tell you but she was visibly agitated!
Then there was the product I was wanting. She begrudgingly marched me to supplement isle.. I told her that I was looking for the small bottle of topical oil,, not ingesting it.. She said to
Then there was the product I was wanting. She begrudgingly marched me to supplement isle.. I told her that I was looking for the small bottle of topical oil,, not ingesting it.. She said to
G. P.
Oct 31, 2020
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I've shopped and eaten here for 18 years. They are small, essentially neighbors among neighbors, with a kind and professional interest in serving the community with good food, mostly organic, and many other wholesome options for home, pets, & families. Before COVID they had a good food bar. I think they still do custom sandwiches and fruit/vegetable drinks. Hopefully they can open the food bar again when COVID is better contained. They have been highly respectful of both customers and formal health recommendations from the state and county while we forge our way through these unusual
JandB L.
Aug 05, 2020
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Androux C.
Nov 11, 2019
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Tom W.
Aug 29, 2019
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I love the deli and the hot bar! The Sammy's that they make are huge and full of fresh yummy stuff. I usually can only eat 1/2 of it and save the rest for dinner. I also receive fantastic help with the produce folks. We want some pickling cuke's to make our own home dills and the produce mgr ordered them that day for us..
Great place and great selection. Definitely has that small grocer/market feel with great staff.
Great place and great selection. Definitely has that small grocer/market feel with great staff.
Cathy C.
Apr 13, 2019
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Their bulk section is great- everything else has been a disappointment over and over again. I have purchased bad poultry twice and I'm nearly always disappointed in the quality of their produce. Veggies look like they've been there forever. Wilted and old. I wish they would up their game seriously- the store has potential.
Carl A.
Jan 08, 2019
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Thomas B.
Sep 23, 2018
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Tonya F.
Apr 04, 2018
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I was a little disappointed. The day I went they were serving curry. I waited for 10 mins for them to refilled it, but ended up getting a salad instead. I was too hungry to wait any longer and the meat looked really dry. I was expecting more a curry soup. The salad was in point though. The store has a great selection of healthy products.
Mary C.
Sep 30, 2017
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Korri G.
Aug 22, 2017
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Stephan V.
Jul 27, 2017
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Guess I have to give this. 2-3 star. I called ahead cause I didn't see anything on Yelp about fresh juices. The lady answers and I say " hi I wondered if you had fresh juice?" The lady responded with "fresh juice?" (Like this was foreign to her.) I thought for a split second that it could be I am in Montana where all the meet. So for all I know this real food market might not know what a fresh juice is. So I respond "yes, fresh juice." She says... "yes, we have a juice bar". So I'm just wondering how I could have been clearer to begin with... or
Chamomile T.
Aug 22, 2016
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Trynia K.
Aug 07, 2016
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Spent the night in Helena on our way from Yellowstone/Tetons to Glacier, and this place was a godsend after all the awful deli sandwiches in the park. We were very happy to get some real food in us. I got the salad bar (8.99/lb) and my husband got pre made 3 bean salad and a bowl of soup. And lunch still cost us less than $15 for healthy, quality ingredients. We also picked up some almond butter, jelly, and bread for decent prices (if you're used to Whole Foods type prices).
Avi C.
Mar 19, 2015
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The deli here is the most fresh and delicious organic food you will find in Helena, I promise you: I have been coming to Helena for 3 years, weekly, for business, and this is the best food you will find, if you are searching for healthy vegan fare. Their salad bar is top notch and always offers a vegan soup and tofu in a tasty way. If the salad bar
lacks something, you can always grab some fresh produce or other tasty food to tickle your fancy. Highly recommended. I come her for lunch and dinner, same day, all the time.
lacks something, you can always grab some fresh produce or other tasty food to tickle your fancy. Highly recommended. I come her for lunch and dinner, same day, all the time.
Mark P.
Nov 23, 2013
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On the plus side, they are the only place in town with an extensive bulk food selection, and their customer service has improved marginally.
Other than that, I can't think of many reasons to like this place. The buffet foods are alternately too dry or too soggy, and always bland... I don't think the whole grain selection stands up well to the warming table treatment. Price-gouging is rampant, even compared to other organic food stores-they don't seem to have realized that cheaper competition has moved into town. I also agree with another reviewer that they always seem to be out
Other than that, I can't think of many reasons to like this place. The buffet foods are alternately too dry or too soggy, and always bland... I don't think the whole grain selection stands up well to the warming table treatment. Price-gouging is rampant, even compared to other organic food stores-they don't seem to have realized that cheaper competition has moved into town. I also agree with another reviewer that they always seem to be out
Adrienne J.
Jul 28, 2013
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I consistently am disappointed with real foods. Up until recently it was that they are constantly out of basic items like milk, flour, our brand of coffee but recently I was aghast at their customer service.
A box of blueberries fell out of my cart and of course I picked them all up off the floor and intended to still buy them... I stood up and two of the employees were just standing there staring at me, with no offer to help. Couldn't believe it. Will never shop there again.
A box of blueberries fell out of my cart and of course I picked them all up off the floor and intended to still buy them... I stood up and two of the employees were just standing there staring at me, with no offer to help. Couldn't believe it. Will never shop there again.
Ted J.
Mar 28, 2013
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