Natural Foods Store Owner
Staunton, Virginia

Kathleen Stinehart has spent her life in education, first as a kindergarten teacher and most recently as dean of academic outreach at Mary Baldwin College. Mary Baldwin is what brought Stinehart to Staunton, Virginia, twelve years ago. Three years ago, she took an early retirement to open Cranberry's Grocery & Eatery with her husband.

She had become vegetarian fifteen years ago and started shopping at natural foods stores. When she came to Staunton, there was no such store, and she would drive forty miles to Charlottesville to shop there.

She was used to living in college towns, but despite Mary Baldwin, Staunton is not a college town. Unlike Williamsburg, in which students compose half the population, Staunton is home to 900 hundred students and 25,000 permanent residents.

Stinehart's main motivation for a natural foods store is health. She sees an epidemic of obesity in this country. Whereas disease once resulted from having too little, disease now results from too much. But the health of the planet is also a concern. Cranberry's uses organic foods when available, is lit by compact fluorescent lights, offers reusable dishes and silverware, and sells Fair Trade coffee. The historic building provides few options for energy efficiency, but Stinehart does what she can.

When she first came to Staunton, the question she was most often asked was, "Have you found a church yet?" The city has changed a lot. There are still "lifers" whose grandparents grew up in the region. But an artist community has developed. People from northern Virginia own second homes in Staunton or come here to retire, bringing their own tastes and values. The city has become more diverse.

People come to Cranberry's for different reasons. They care about health or the environment. Or they just want fresh local foods or artisan foods. Some come just for the coffee. Some don't care about what they eat but care about what their kids eat. Stinehart tries to appeal to everyone but can't. Some people are put off by seeing tempeh on the menu. Some "hardcore" customers are disappointed that not all of the food is organic.

But Stinehart sees the store as another educational endeavor. The store is littered with articles and literature about food issues. She offers not only to special order foods for customers but also to do research on foods for them. The store has hosted educational events, and Stinehart hopes to do more. She wants the store to be not only a source of high quality, local, natural, and organic foods but also a place where community members can come to have their food questions answered.

Email Kathleen Stinehart at cranberry@ntelos.net