Bay Area

How Local Grocer Became a Natural Wonder

When Bob Gerner attended his first Organic Merchants meeting in 1970 on Mount Shasta, it led to creating the popular El Cerrito Natural Grocery Company, which he founded and has been dedicated to for more than 50 years. “This was the start of the natural foods movement and we are still guided by the principles adopted by this organization,” said Laurie Wilt, a Kensington resident and spokesperson for the employee-owned company.

Published

1 year ago

April 15, 2023

Oakland Post

The El Cerrito Grocery Store won the East Bay Express Reader Poll for Best Natural Food Store in 2021 and in 2022, due in part to its establishing personal relationships with vendors and farmers. The worker-owned business doesn’t just sell food to make money. “We believe in caring for our resources and providing healthy, nutritious ingredients to our community,” Wilt said.

The Richmond Standard

“This was the start of the natural foods movement and we are still guided by the principles adopted by this organization,” said Laurie Wilt, a Kensington resident and spokesperson for the employee-owned company. “Their goal was to promote organic agriculture and to sell wholesome unrefined natural foods. The Organic Merchants defined these as foods without white flour, white sugar, hydrogenated oils, artificial sweeteners, artificial flavors, artificial colors, or preservatives.”

From 1971 to 1980, Gerner changed locations and expanded offerings, including a bakery and café that had 50 unique vegetarian dishes and the first tofu burger in the U.S.

After an attempt to sell the store, Gerner and his wife Pattie regrouped and reopened the store in 1981 calling it Berkeley Natural Grocery Co., the beginning of The Natural Grocery Company at 10367 San Pablo Ave. as it is known today, according to Wilt.

In 2002, the Natural Grocery Company became employee owned (Employee Stock Ownership Plan), and the following year the Employees of the Berkeley Store launched the Non-GMO Project with the People Want to Know Campaign, according to Wilt.

The El Cerrito Grocery Store won the East Bay Express Reader Poll for Best Natural Food Store in 2021 and in 2022, due in part to its establishing personal relationships with vendors and farmers.

The worker-owned business doesn’t just sell food to make money. “We believe in caring for our resources and providing healthy, nutritious ingredients to our community,” Wilt said.

“I think that commitment to our ideals is what sets us apart,” she said. “It isn’t always about the bottom line. We are a community of individuals working towards the health of ourselves, our families and the population at large.”

That dedication is proven in the store’s product offerings. The store only sells organic produce. Its bulk foods department is almost all organic.

The store’s Café features Equal Exchange Organic/Fair Trade Coffee and Juice Bar that uses the same organic produce sold in its the stores, its Ice Cream Counter features Straus Ice Cream and Mr. Dewie’s Cashew Ice Cream, and its Bakery Department makes tasty organic treats, special order cakes and pastries, as well as morning baked goods like muffins, scones, cinnamon rolls and biscuits. Vegan and wheat free items are offered, although the store is not a gluten free facility, according to Wilt.

The store also has a Deli that prepares grab and go sandwiches, salads and dishes to eat in or take-out, a Wine & Beer Department focusing on natural, organic and craft beverages, and a Floral Department that was co-winner for Best Flower Shop in the 2022 El Cerrito Chamber of Commerce Best of El Cerrito competition.

Both the Berkeley and El Cerrito grocery stores are certified California Green Businesses.

“You may notice the solar panels that are on the roofs of both our San Pablo Avenue locations as well as over a portion of the parking lot,” Wilt said. “Additionally, we have an electric car charging station in our lot that provides an hour of free charging during business hours for customers.”

What customers don’t see are the beehives on the roof. The hives are maintained by Bay Area Bee Company, according to Wilt.

“When they produce enough honey, we get jars to sell in our stores that tell you it’s from our bees!” Wilt said.

Wilt also noted the store sells fresh ground-your-own peanut and almond butters. But you won’t find individual water bottles of less than one gallon, a decision the store made in 2019. The store only carries water in aluminum, paper or glass.

“We provide a Reverse Osmosis Water Filter System for our customers who want to fill up their own containers and that is what we use to wash our produce,” Wilt said. “Recent audits of our composting show that we are doing a great job separating our waste and making sure it goes to the right place (compost, recycling, landfill).”

The Natural Grocery Store and Natural Grocery Preparation Food Annex open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

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Oakland Post: Week of April 17 – 23, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 17 – 23, 2024

Published

6 hours ago

April 19, 2024

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

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Oakland Schools Honor Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties

Every Jan. 30, OUSD commemorates the legacy of Fred Korematsu, an Oakland native, a Castlemont High School graduate, and a national symbol of resistance, resilience, and justice. His defiant stand against racial injustice and his unwavering commitment to civil rights continue to inspire the local community and the nation. Tuesday was “Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution” in the state of California and a growing number of states across the country.

Published

18 hours ago

April 19, 2024

Oakland Post

Fred Korematsu. Courtesy of OUSD.

By Post Staff

Every Jan. 30, OUSD commemorates the legacy of Fred Korematsu, an Oakland native, a Castlemont High School graduate, and a national symbol of resistance, resilience, and justice.

His defiant stand against racial injustice and his unwavering commitment to civil rights continue to inspire the local community and the nation. Tuesday was “Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution” in the state of California and a growing number of states across the country.
One OUSD school is named in his honor: Fred T. Korematsu Discovery Academy (KDA) elementary in East Oakland.

Several years ago, founding KDA Principal Charles Wilson, in a video interview with anti-hate organization “Not In Our Town,” said, “We chose the name Fred Korematsu because we really felt like the attributes that he showed in his work are things that the children need to learn … that common people can stand up and make differences in a large number of people’s lives.”

Fred Korematsu was born in Oakland on Jan. 30, 1919. His parents ran a floral nursery business, and his upbringing in Oakland shaped his worldview. His belief in the importance of standing up for your rights and the rights of others, regardless of race or background, was the foundation for his activism against racial prejudice and for the rights of Japanese Americans during World War II.

At the start of the war, Korematsu was turned away from enlisting in the National Guard and the Coast Guard because of his race. He trained as a welder, working at the docks in Oakland, but was fired after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. Fear and prejudice led to federal Executive Order 9066, which forced more than 120,000 Japanese Americans out of their homes and neighborhoods and into remote internment camps.

The 23-year-old Korematsu resisted the order. He underwent cosmetic surgery and assumed a false identity, choosing freedom over unjust imprisonment. His later arrest and conviction sparked a legal battle that would challenge the foundation of civil liberties in America.

Korematsu’s fight culminated in the Supreme Court’s initial ruling against him in 1944. He spent years in a Utah internment camp with his family, followed by time living in Salt Lake City where he was dogged by racism.

In 1976, President Gerald Ford overturned Executive Order 9066. Seven years later, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco vacated Korematsu’s conviction. He said in court, “I would like to see the government admit that they were wrong and do something about it so this will never happen again to any American citizen of any race, creed, or color.”

Korematsu’s dedication and determination established him as a national icon of civil rights and social justice. He advocated for justice with Rosa Parks. In 1998, President Bill Clinton gave him the Presidential Medal of Freedom saying, “In the long history of our country’s constant search for justice, some names of ordinary citizens stand for millions of souls … To that distinguished list, today we add the name of Fred Korematsu.”

After Sept. 11, 2001, Korematsu spoke out against hatred and discrimination, saying what happened to Japanese Americans should not happen to people of Middle Eastern descent.
Korematsu’s roots in Oakland and his education in OUSD are a source of great pride for the city, according to the school district. His most famous quote, which is on the Korematsu elementary school mural, is as relevant now as ever, “If you have the feeling that something is wrong, don’t be afraid to speak up.”

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Port of Oakland Commission Votes to Change Oakland Airport to ‘San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport’

The Port of Oakland Commission voted unanimously to change the name of Metropolitan Oakland International Airport to San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport at a commission meeting Thursday afternoon. The Port initially announced the name change on March 29, claiming that the change will attract more passengers and enhance the airport’s visibility. They contend that the airport often gets neglected by the public’s lack of knowledge of Oakland’s proximity to San Francisco.

Published

18 hours ago

April 19, 2024

Oakland Post

Port of Oakland commissioners voted unanimously to change the name of the Metropolitan Oakland International Airport to San Francisco Bay Oakland Airport at Commission meeting on April 11.

By Magaly Muñoz

The Port initially announced the name change on March 29, claiming that the change will attract more passengers and enhance the airport’s visibility. They contend that the airport often gets neglected by the public’s lack of knowledge of Oakland’s proximity to San Francisco.

“We want people to know where Oakland is and how beautiful our city is. We want them to visit, we want them to spend their money, and we want to keep our money into our local economy,” Port Commission President Barbara Leslie said at the meeting.

The commissioners shared anecdotal experiences and research to explain how this new name change will elevate and add to the growth of Oakland, not take away from their Bay Area neighbors.

The Port claimed that local residents had been asking for more options in domestic and international flights, but in order to do that, outside travelers need to be aware of Oakland’s presence first.

Since the announcement of the new name, San Francisco leaders strongly opposed the suggestion for a change, the City Attorney going as far as threatening legal action.

SF City Attorney David Chiu announced Monday that his team sent a letter to the Port of Oakland, writing that if Oakland goes forward with the name change, the city will go forward with a lawsuit to prevent the use of their trademarked name.

San Francisco owns U.S. federal trademark registrations for the marks “San Francisco International Airport”, the letter says.

Chiu further claimed that the name change will only cause confusion and chaos for travelers who are used to seeing the San Francisco name in the SFO trademark.

“We want to see the entire Bay Area thrive as a tourist destination and expand our offerings to visitors, but this proposal is not a legal or practical way to go about it. If Oakland moves forward with this proposal, San Francisco will pursue legal action to prevent misuse of our trademark,” Chiu said.

SF Mayor London Breed joined Chiu’s letter, stating that Oakland does not need to add the internationally popular city to its brand in order to grow its services.

“[Oakland] is rich in culture and wonderful people and has its own unique identity. It does not need the name San Francisco as part of its airport to stand out,” Breed wrote.

The Port defended its proposed actions, saying that if the vote did go forward, they would “take all appropriate measures to defend its right to use this accurate geographic identifier.”

“The proposed name modification will clarify, not confuse. The new name identifies where OAK is actually located, which is on the San Francisco Bay,” a spokesperson said on behalf of the Port.

Support for the name change extends beyond the Port. Several regional leaders, airlines and community members have come out in support of the name change, including Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao.

“This adjustment isn’t just about signage—it’s about inviting travelers to discover all that Oakland and the region have to offer. From our local dining scene to unique shopping spots and cozy hotels, there’s something here for everyone. Let’s work together to ensure that Oakland Airport continues to serve as a welcoming gateway for visitors and a source of pride for our community,” Thao said.

Because of public outcry amongst residents and leaders in Oakland and San Francisco before and during the Commission meeting, the Board decided to extend the second reading for the proposed name change from the end of April to the first meeting in May. This decision will allow commissioners to connect with community groups and leaders over their concerns for the change.

The Port Commission is scheduled to hold a second reading of the proposed name change on May 9.