The BriarPatch Difference
Press Kit & Media Library
Media Inquiries
Please direct questions and requests for additional resources to:
Paula O’Brien
(530) 272-2667 x135| paulao@briarpatch.coop
Who we are in a nutshell…
- We are a community-owned natural foods grocery store with over 11,500 owners and counting.
- We have been in business since 1976. Starting out as a hippie buying club in the Sierra Foothills, we’ve now grown to annual sales of $40M (while retaining our hippie heart!).
- We plan crop production with local farmers twice yearly, giving our shoppers a great selection of the best produce, and getting farmers the best price for their yields (win-win!).
- We give back to the community, not only through cash and product donations, but through an award-winning volunteer program.
- Our second location in Auburn, California opened August 2023 in Rock Creek Plaza. We are celebrating our 1st birthday this August!
Our definition of Local
Our watershed, the Sacramento River Watershed, is how we define what’s local. Formed by nature and interconnected, it supplies the air we breathe and our food sources. Purchasing food and products grown or made here supports a strong local economy and a resilient food system. What happens upstream affects everything downstream, water conservation and consumer awareness are critical to sustainable living and fighting climate change, too.
Last year, we featured 159 local suppliers on our shelves, including 23 local farms with whom we co-planned crop production!
Briarpatch by the numbers
6
BIPOC groups supported while increasing awareness
175,000lbs
organics diverted from landfills to local farmers
134,418lbs
apples sold, $13,418 given to community & school gardens
51,000
and counting in PatchWorks volunteer hours since 2020
50%
+ of store electricity powered by solar (Grass Valley)
28,001lbs
food donated to hunger relief
We’ve got big sustainability goals because, you know, we’re trying to help save the planet. See what we aim to do by 2025.
We’ve now got two locations: come visit us in Grass Valley, California and in Auburn, California.
Want a deeper dive into who we are? Read The Vine for our quarterly news, delightful stories and delicious recipes.
In The Press
Here is some recent news about our stores.
- Briarpatch Food Co-op to celebrate Auburn store’s 1st birthday with food & fun
- BriarPatch Food Co-op Board of Directors Adopts 8th Cooperative Principle
- BriarPatch Food Co-op’s Auburn Location Receives EPA GreenChill Platinum-Level Certification
- BriarPatch Food Co-op Begins Reusable Utensil Bring-Back Program