© APRIL 2, 2008 Whole Earth Gets a 21st Century Facelift

A Convenient Truth: Whole Earth movers – Jennifer Murray, left, Susy Waterman, Herb Mertz, and Fran McManus – showcase the $1 million addition just completed at the landmark Nassau Street natural food market.

Bill Moran, customer service manager, came to When planning its addition, the WEC wanted a model of green the Whole Earth Center from the Tempting Tiger. construction. The windows are recycled, the roof is solar.

Telephone: 609-452-7000. Fax: 609-452-0033 Princeton's Business and Entertainment Weekly Home page: www.princetoninfo.com REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM THE APRIL 2, 2008, ISSUE OF U.S. 1 The Whole Earth Center: Bigger and Greener

by Michele Alperin It’s Only Natural: Jennifer Murray, above left, scoops some herbs from WEC’s vast supply of bulk foods. Annie Chang, Who in the world would go to right, a chef at WEC, brings fresh bread to its new cafe area. the trouble of preserving the huge plate- glass windows of a former automobile dealership? Who would add a second layer of glass and a coating to create double-insu- like the Holistic Health Association and the service manager, Bill Moran, and his wife, lated panes to use in the expansion and ren- Sierra Club. On the walls were the store’s Carol Nyikita, owned the Tempting Tiger, a ovation of a retail store? The Whole Earth community bulletin boards. Its French- natural food deli on Witherspoon Street that Center, Princeton’s oldest natural foods style doors were completely covered with catered to students from 1979 to 1993. grocery store, that’s who. And of course the bumper stickers. “All your philosophies It all started with four barrels of bulk socially conscious store used a company in laid out bumper-sticker style,” says Fran items — granola, rolled oats, brown rice, the area, Norman’s Glass and Auto Ser- McManus, the Whole Earth’s marketing di- and lentils — and peanut butter, all of vices, right up Route 27, beyond Kingston, which sold out on the store’s first day. And, to do the work. by the way, wallet watchers should be The Whole Earth Center, which many of aware that every year on Earth Day, these its loyal customers refer to as WEC In its first years Whole items still sell for their 1970 prices. Anoth- (rhymes with “deck”), is opening a 2,500- Earth carried wood stoves er money and earth-saving tradition in square-foot totally “green” addition in the place since the beginning is the subtraction space that was last occupied by Judy’s and futons and its bulk food of 10 cents per bag brought in by customers Flower Shop, but was originally an auto- came in barrels. It was the from their final bill. mobile showroom. focal point of a small alter- Whole Earth, fittingly enough, is an off- Nearly from its beginnings on October shoot of the first Earth Day, in 1970. At that 12, 1970, in a 10- by 10-foot space at the native enclave in Princeton. time several environmental activists heard current Nassau Street location of Thomas that an ecological food store was opening in Sweet, the Whole Earth has been more than Cambridge, Massachusetts, and they start- just a store that sells good, healthy food. It rector, a graphic designer who was trained ed to talk about opening a natural foods has been committed to advocacy and edu- at Parsons and the New School. store in Princeton. The original group in- cation on issues, from recycling and In its first years Whole Earth carried cluded Barbara Parmet, Florence Falk, reusing to buying local and practicing inte- wood stoves and futons and its bulk food Margot Sutherland, and Hella McVay. grated pest management. And, yes, the came in barrels. It was the focal point of a Susy Waterman, who attended Benning- name did come from the Whole Earth Cata- small alternative enclave in Princeton. “It ton College, where she majored in govern- logue. was the center in a community looking for ment, joined up the next day after getting a In its new transformation, the store al- connections back to the environment, na- phone call in Maine about the idea, and has most belies its countercultural origins, vi- ture, and eating better,” says McManus. been on the board every since. She is mar- sually at least. Just 20 years ago the Whole The Whole Earth staff includes Prince- ried to Stan Waterman, the Emmy award Earth’s physical presence had an entirely ton pioneers in natural foods. Its baker, winning underwater producer and photog- different feel. The store entrance opened Harriet White, used to be the owner of the rapher who is the author of Sea Salt. off a run-down hallway where signs allud- Green Line Diner, a Princeton natural foods The group spent the summer raising ed to fellow tenants with similar values, restaurant in the 1980s, and its customer $4,500 in a campaign that included people knocking on doors with chil- ple, that the old kitchen can be to take on this second major ex- have diligently separated dren in tow. In exchange for the turned over entirely to the bak- pansion, says Herb Mertz, a wood, pipe, copper tubing, and $5 and $10 that people handed ery. Now baking will be a 24- Princeton University graduate plastic. She explains, “It takes over or mailed in, they were hour-a-day operation instead of (Class of 1976) who works as the kind of dedication these given little green cards. just a night-time one, and to aid an executive at Seacastle in ad- guys had to make it work. Once The Whole Earth Center in- and abet the expanded hours, dition to his duties on Whole you throw the wrong thing in corporated as a nonprofit, but it the store has just purchased a Earth’s board, it made a signifi- the wrong bin, the whole batch has an unusual status — it is new oven, doubling the bak- cant policy decision. “To be is contaminated and considered nonprofit by virtue of its by- ery’s physical capacity. true to our roots,” he says, “we trash.” The result was impres- laws, but because the govern- There is also be room for wanted to do it in the most envi- sive, with 90 percent of the ma- ment won’t recognize the store more product. The organic pro- ronmentally friendly way pos- terials recycled. as a 501(c)(3), it pays taxes like duce department is increasing sible.” The board knew enough The motivation behind the a normal corporation. by 50 percent to a little over 600 about green building to guess decision to take on this costly The store moved to its cur- square feet. The new space also that this would be an expensive project was the desire to create rent location about six months allows for more room in the way to go, but thought it would a learning space that not only after its founding, and at the aisles, which is expected to be worth it. had lots of information avail- same time hired its first manag- make browsing more pleasant. The U.S. Green Building able, but also taught by exam- er, John Keyser, a recent Council had recently estab- ple. A sensor in the new space, Princeton graduate. lished standards for green for example, will allow visitors Still standing on its original The Whole Earth building, dubbed LEED, for to see how much power is being principles, the Whole Earth has Leadership in Energy and Envi- generated by the solar panels on transformed itself physically Center expansion ronmental Design, and because the roof. The space will also — not just to provide more is to serve as an these were the strictest existing have available the latest edi- product and an expanded cafe, example of green standards at that time, the board tions of all magazines sold in but also to serve as an example decided to adopt them. store as well as an information- to the Princeton community of architecture and The first step was to find a al bulletin board. green architecture and design. design. builder and an architect com- The space also uses wood The new addition will open of- mitted to green construction harvested locally both as fin- ficially on Saturday, April 19, and design. ishing lumber and for the new with a week-long sale and an The existing 36-foot product Although Jim Baxter of Bax- cafe tables. When Kit Ray- Earth Day celebration on April case has new racks to improve ter Construction Company in mond, a tree surgeon in Prince- 22. display and convenience as Princeton had never been in- ton whose company is called The Whole Earth’s addition well as to enhance freshness. volved in LEED, he realized Branch Manager, is asked to cut brings the store to a total of With that and the new 16-foot LEED was an up-and-coming down quality hardwood trees, 8,000 square feet, which now product case, the department is and important development in like the cherry, black walnut, look out onto Nassau Street adding more variety in all its building and design. He was ea- and elm, he converts them into through those reused windows. lines, from root vegetables to ger to get on board and willing- lumber. “People can come back The new space will house a big- exotic fruit. ly underwent several weeks of and eat off their own tree,” ger kitchen for the cafe. Its new The produce manager, Mike preparatory training in the Mid- jokes McManus. manager, who was hired away Atkinson, points out that a larg- west. Many of the Whole Earth’s from Whole Foods, will be ex- er inventory may sometimes customers have been around panding the menu. The new improve prices: “With in- since the beginning. They are cafe will feature 10 two-seater creased buying power,” he Architect Ron Berlin, lo- savvy about food and the natu- tables that can be pulled togeth- writes in reply to an E-mail cated at in the same building as ral foods industry and are look- er in different configurations, query, “we will also be in a po- the Whole Earth Center, was in ing for healthy food that is not two new bathrooms — one with sition to get better deals at the process of obtaining certifi- processed and has no additives. a shower for employees who times, and will pass this on to cation as a green architect, and Sometimes it is possible to bike to work, and wheeled dis- our customers with seasonal he was chosen to design the ad- find this type of food in a stan- play cases for deli-related specials and regular sale dition. The cost for the work dard supermarket, but only by package goods and cheeses. items.” And with better buying was $1 million. It was funded carefully checking ingredients. Making the best use of space, power and storage capacity, the by Martin Tuchman of Prince- But at the Whole Earth that’s the display cases will be moved department will be supporting ton International Properties, the the staff’s job, says Waterman. out of the way for evening lec- local farmers by increasing store’s landlord, and by board “Customers have to do less la- tures and talks. both the variety of locally members. bel reading than in regular gro- The addition also makes grown items and the length of An early challenge was find- cery stores,” she says. “They room for additional bulk prod- time the store is able to offer ing a company that would take buy here because they don’t ucts, even though they don’t them. care of construction debris, en- have to ask.” Mertz adds, “It’s a bring in a high profit. Water- The store’s first major ex- suring recycle or reuse where haven for most of our cus- man doesn’t like the term pansion took place in 1994 appropriate. After a search, tomers.” “bulk” and emphasizes that the when it took over from Bowhe Whole Earth’s board located a When something creates idea behind these items is not to & Peare the space where the en- Philadelphia company, Con- fears about the food supply— encourage customers to buy a trance currently sits. There struction Waste Management, for example, the use of Alar lot, but to constantly turn over have been other minor moves which brought in enormous pesticides on apples, the intro- product so it is fresh. along the way. At one point, for cardboard boxes to hold the old duction of bovine growth hor- The new space is also mak- example, the offices were materials. mone by Monsanto, or a big re- ing way for changes in the old- moved upstairs to make space The construction crew — la- call of beef — more people get er, cramped footage. The new for the cafe. beled by McManus as “the he- interested in organic food. And deli kitchen means, for exam- Once the board had decided roes of this whole thing” — when these scares happen, the Whole Earth always has lots of Waterman did a information on hand to help survey comparing people understand what is in- the prices of 14 volved. items at Whole The Whole Earth’s cus- Earth with those at tomers are price conscious, just grocery stores in like everyone else, says Mertz, town and on Route but generally they have a 1, she found that in broader understanding of what 11 cases the prices reflect. When the Whole Whole Earth’s Earth buys from small, local or- prices were the ganic farmers who are sitting same or lower. on expensive farmland, for ex- Anecdotally, she ample, these farmers are able to adds, some cus- continue cultivating the land tomers have told rather than selling it to develop- her that many of ers who will turn it into gated the Whole Earth’s communities. “We are trying to products are support multi-use in the area cheaper than the and by supporting it we don’t same ones at Olive become a whole area of just May (formerly McMansions,” says Mertz. Wild Oats), the Even though buying local Whole Foods- can be expensive, Whole owned store just Earth’s customers understand down the street. Fully Invested: Board members Susy Water- and appreciate both the quality Furthermore, the Whole man and Herb Mertz have a passion for all that of its products and its contribu- Earth does not play the market- WEC stands for. They invested not only their tions to the organic economy. ing game of offering loss lead- time, but also their money, in the expansion. Waterman says about the ers to create false perceptions Whole Earth’s customers, “The of their true prices — offering more they understand what one item at a drastically re- they are buying, the more they duced price, but making up for high advertising visibility, like ended up getting advice from are willing to appreciate an in- that loss with a rise in prices Whole Foods, comes into town, Community Mercantile, an or- crease in price.” elsewhere. says Waterman, the Whole ganic food coop in Lawrence, And yet, as is true of other Earth has had to rethink the ad- Kansas, that had survived in ex- food sellers, the Whole Earth’s vantages of being small. Be- actly the same situation — a prices are, in some cases, ris- Recently the Whole Earth cause the large stores need vol- Wild Oats two blocks away, ing. Flour, for example, has joined INFRA, the Independent ume and consistency, they can- and produced a movie that ex- tripled in price as farms are Natural Food Retailers Associ- not work with very small pro- plained how. converted to corn for ethanol, ation, which serves as a buying ducers. “It is difficult for a Whole Earth had to respond causing shortages of wheat coop for independent stores small supplier to have enough by making a few changes, like flour. But higher prices can around the country. Its mem- opening on Sunday and taking sometimes work to the Whole bers look at pooling resources credit cards. Earth’s advantage. “If you for the purchase of traditional The cost of flour But it still meant a lot to the compare the price of packaged package items and swap in- Whole Earth when Wild Oats wheat to bulk organic grain, the sights into good deals on com- has tripled, but had its last hurrah. “When Wild bulk is less expensive,” says monly-needed retail items such higher prices can Oats went out, it was strange Mertz. Furthermore, adds Mc- as software for signage. sometimes work to symbolic victory for us,” says Manus, “the average bagged Mertz says that prices at the McManus. “We lasted.” flour is three years old, so the Whole Earth are never set to WEC’s advantage. The ethic of Whole Earth is, bulk department is the way to gouge the consumer. “We don’t in many ways, community go in terms of freshness.” And have to extract the last amount service, says McManus. This the absence of packaging is of money from the store, be- to feed the appetite of a large happens on several fronts: how good for the environment. cause we are non-profit,” he store,” says Waterman. But the the store deals with its suppli- Another great deal at the says. “So that moderates the Whole Earth is more flexible. ers, how it selects products, Whole Earth is on its 170 bulk cost structure we put on prod- “We can handle a small busi- how it educates its customers, herbs and spices, which are ucts.” ness that produces fine prod- and how it reaches out into the very fresh because of high Just as prices are always a ucts,” she continues, “but it’s local and national community turnover and less pricey than concern, so is competition, and too much trouble for a very big to motivate social change. the off-the-shelf variety. “Spice the Whole Earth has had to ad- store; they count on mass.” One continuing issue has jars are the most expensive just. As each new store comes Wild Oats, says Waterman, been how to support small sup- glassware in your house,” says into the area — even Weg- was a serious threat when it pliers and use their products. Waterman. man’s, which is not “natural came to town in 1998 — a na- “We are one of the original ‘buy While local can be expen- foods,” but is decidedly upscale tional chain, two blocks away, local’ companies, in terms of sive, the Whole Earth’s prices — the store notices a dip in that was bigger than the Whole using suppliers and producers on many items are in line with sales that gradually rises back Earth. “We had to sit down and in the area,” says Mertz. or lower than those at the larger to its norm over time. figure out how to meet that “The hope is to help him stay stores. A few years ago, when When a national chain with challenge,” she says. The store in business so he produces good stuff and so he doesn’t get eggs and milk for its ice cream. market is low; he pays an extra supporter of some issue. But its bought up by the big boys,” Whole Earth’s produce is all premium for certified organic; history speaks to its regular says Waterman. The alterna- organic, and its deli offerings and he provides advance credit civic involvement. tive, which often happens, is are all organic except for the to farmers during the growing It started with recycling — that the small farmer sells out or lemon juice. The Whole Earth season, when they need it. As a getting Princeton Borough to else buys more land, plants is always on the lookout for result, his suppliers don’t have do curbside collections with more crops, and becomes a new products that manufactur- to go to predatory lenders and one of its trucks, encouraging large purveyor himself. ers, suppliers, and distributors get stuck in a debt cycle. Equal the university to support a recy- Whole Earth has worked for are offering. After assessing Exchange has now started OKE cling program, and lobbying a long time with Farmer Ed their benefits, the managers de- Bananas, and the Whole Earth the state government. In those Lidzbarski of E.R. & Son Or- cide whether to carry them. is the only store in Princeton days things weren’t formalized, ganic Farm, who supplies the When organic food was rare, that carries them. says Waterman. People had an store with organic vegetables. it was easy to make purchase During the growing season idea and gathered local envi- After 20-plus years farming on decisions. Where Erewhon was the Whole Earth buys mainly ronmental activists to help rented land in Jamesburg, the one of the few original suppli- from local organic farmers, but make it happen — and the land was sold, and he now ers of packaged goods, now off season it brings in produce Whole Earth was the place to farms in Colts Neck. “He is the there are scores of suppliers. As from California. But that may find them. “If you wanted to get guy who has trained most of the a result, the Whole Earth’s be less true in the future. Water- something done,” she says, successful organic farmers in product managers are more se- man says, with some irony, “the Whole Earth is where you the state,” says Waterman. And lective, and have to ask them- “With climate change the came to get it started. It is also when he ran into trouble, the selves, “Is this a company we growing season is getting where you went to find out Whole Earth jumped into help. want to support?” longer and longer in New Jer- what was going on.” A number of years ago, when The Whole Earth chose as its sey.” Waterman describes what his organic vegetable crops primary dairy supplier a coop- Periodically a product is happened at an early recycling washed out three times, the erative of Amish farmers in controversial, and the board has effort at the university. People Whole Earth paid for his new Lancaster County whose label to help product managers eval- drove on to the campus with seeds. is Natural-By-Nature for three uate it. At one point the store their newspapers, paper bags, Sometimes distribution reasons: (1) Its cows are grass decided to carry shark carti- tin cans, and glass and dropped structure gets in the way of us- fed, meaning that they get all lage, which was supposed to of- them at designated spots. She ing products from small suppli- their nutrition in the pasture — fer health benefits, but which remembers her friend Denise ers. “If you have a small prod- not, emphasizes McManus, by also represented a great danger Reed, who was very involved uct you want to offer, it’s diffi- to the well-being of sharks. with the Whole Earth, standing cult to break into the supply “Shark cartilage is extremely on top of a dumpster, in the chain,” says McManus. The Wild Oats was a se- expensive, and we did well midst of a huge mound of glass, Whole Earth has its eye on a rious threat when it with it,” says Mertz. “A lot of dressed in a big mask and gog- producer of frozen organic pro- cancer people came in.” But gles, whacking away at the duce in the Pacific Northwest, came to town in when the board did its home- glass with her sledgehammer. for example, but hasn’t figured 1998, causing WEC work, they found no proof of “She looked like the guy on out how to get it to New Jersey. to expand its hours the product’s effectiveness but Arm & Hammer,” says Water- Not long ago Terra Momo did find it that it was decimat- man. and Whole Earth invited repre- and to accept credit ing the shark population, so In the early 1970s the Whole sentatives from seven Prince- cards. they dropped the product. Earth wrote a bill at the state ton businesses and eight farms Then there was the time that level to try to get recycling for for quarterly farmer/buyer the company supplying most of glass, but it went down. When meetings. Their goal is to figure eating corn first and then being the Whole Earth’s health and the recycling supporters ar- out how these businesses can sent outside, where they mostly beauty products was bought by rived at the state house, they work better with farmers so that lie under a tree and sleep. (2) a larger company that didn’t were faced with hundreds of their trips to town are easier and The time to market is only two have a policy on animal testing. glass company representatives less expensive. Princeton Uni- hours. (3) They don’t ultrapas- Since all Whole Earth products from southern Jersey who wor- versity was represented by Stu teurize their milk to give it a must be cruelty free, they had to ried that recycling would put Orefice, head of dining servic- longer shelf life. shut down that whole depart- them out of business. “We read es, who is committed to using Or take the Equal Exchange ment for awhile. our statements,” remembers local first; the other businesses Coffee that the Whole Earth Waterman, “but we were beat- are the Bent Spoon, the Nassau carries, which is a “fair trade” en to a pulp.” Inn, Nassau Street Seafood, and product. The owner originally One impetus for starting In 1990, in honor of Earth Triumph Brewing. thought his company would be the store was to create a gather- Day, the Whole Earth organ- Mertz says that Whole Earth a regional one, supplying gro- ing place for people interested ized a canal clean-up that has also helped out other local ceries and food stores through- in change. With regard to push- turned up about 120 bags of businesses that wanted to buy out New England. His brand ing recycling, where the store garbage, roofing materials, a natural products but didn’t have has ended up, however, being placed some of its earliest ad- toilet, tires, shopping carts, and the volume to support delivery. national, but it caters to natural vocacy efforts, Waterman ex- a road sign. Terhune Orchards, for exam- food stores and coops, says Mc- plains that “we started to be a After the mess, there was ple, wanted to switch to Natur- Manus. resource for the town to learn cake for everyone at an Earth al-By-Nature milk, and Whole He runs his “fair trade” busi- — where you start, what you Day birthday party at Turning Earth bought some them as part ness by the following princi- do.” Basin Park. “It was a real turn- of its own order. It also helped ples: He always pays a fair The store’s activism ebbs ing point for the store,” says the Bent Spoon, which didn’t price to the farmer, including a and flows, says Waterman, and Mertz. “People recognized that have enough volume in natural guaranteed minimum when the depends on finding a vigorous all these groups were doing stuff but nobody was coordinat- ing it.” In 1993 the store ran a pesti- Tracking An Organic Movement cide-free lawn campaign in Princeton, distributing infor- October 12, 1970: Founded with four bar- April 1994: Resolution for borough to use mation and giving purple “Pes- rels of bulk items and peanut butter at 183 integrated pest management drafted at sugges- ticide-Free Lawn” signs to Nassau Street. tion of Whole Earth Center and New Jersey homeowners who pledged not Early 1970s: Engaged in recycling efforts Environmental Foundation in conjunction to use pesticides on their lawns. on multiple fronts. with Princeton Regional Health approved by It also co-sponsored an in-store Princeton Borough, following lead of Prince- and door-to-door chemical-free 1971: Moved to 360 Nassau Street. ton Township and Princeton Regional lawn campaign with the New 1972: Convinced borough to collect recy- Schools. Jersey Environmental Federa- clables with their trucks; dwindled for lack of 1994 and 1995: Anti-bovine growth hor- tion to educate town residents infrastructure. mone campaign. about composting, recycling, 1974: Opened the restaurant. and chemical-free lawn care, Spring 1998: Worked with local business- and petitioned Princeton Bor- 1980: Renovated the perimeter and back of es on Save Organic Standards Campaign. ough and Princeton Township what has been the main section of the store. Fall 1998: Competition came to town in to adopt a pesticide policy for 1984 on: Started providing yearly funding form of Wild Oats. public lands and buildings. for Princeton Public Library book collection 2000: Honored at NOFA-NJ’s winter con- The Whole Earth initiated a on environmental issues including biodiversi- ference for promoting local organic farm project to push for integrated ty, global warming, ecology, rainforest preser- products and acting as mentors to farmers; ran pest management in Princeton vation, environmental careers, renewable en- successful letter-writing campaign during schools and parks. Rather than ergy, and recycling. comment period for first federal organic spraying for pests on a regular 1990: Canal clean up — collecting about guidelines, protesting use of irradiation, fertil- schedule, says Waterman, this 120 bags of garbage, roofing materials, a toi- izers from sewage sludge, and genetically means checking regularly for let, and a road sign — followed by Earth Day modified seed, all of which were taken out of signs of a problem, spraying birthday party at Turning Basin Park. guidelines. only if the problem is acute, and Early 1990s: Took over the Holistic Health choosing the least toxic option 2004: Started carrying local organic grass- Association space. for getting rid of the pests. fed meat. The Whole Earth also acts on 1993: Ran a pesticide-free lawn campaign Early 2007: Wild Oats leaves; started na- issues that directly affect its where homeowners pledged to use no pesticides tive plant workshops with Steven Hiltner with product offerings. It was the and worked with New Jersey Environmental Friends of Princeton Open Space, on the last first store in this area to carry Federation to educate residents about compost- Sunday of the month. local, organic grass-fed beef, ing, recycling, and chemical-free lawn care and April 2008. Opens $1 million addition. and in 1994 and 1995 it ran a to lobby borough and township to adopt pesti- letter-writing campaign to the cide policy on public lands and buildings. federal government in favor of products being labeled as hor- The Whole Earth is still have been many marriages and here. “Now our challenge is to mone free. The store also re- making connections with other engagements between staff help people integrate these quires its dairy providers to environmental groups around members. In fact, Fran Mc- things in their lives,” says Mc- sign affidavits that they do not town based on issues of mutual Manus and Herb Mertz met Manus. knowingly purchase or use interest. It is, for example, cur- through the Whole Earth, and Improving the environment milk from cows that have been rently hosting monthly native- they married in 1991. is an ongoing process, but at injected with bovine growth plant workshops with Steven The Whole Earth has always every step it’s important to take hormone and drops them if they Hiltner of Friends of Princeton prided itself on breaking new a stand. Once the addition refuse. And of course the Open Space. ground, but as its issues have opens and everything gets set- Whole Earth only carries or- The store takes money out of become part of a wider public tled, products that are even ganic grass-fed beef. its operating funds whenever consciousness, the store is al- more environmentally friendly Before the United States De- possible and makes donations ways looking toward the next will come out. By committing partment of Agriculture came to mostly local, but also nation- challenge the community will to the costly process of making out with its first organic food al, environmental organiza- face. “The things we used to its new space entirely green, the guidelines in December, 2000, tions. It has donated countless talk about are now things Whole Earth is giving compa- the Whole Earth and its cus- thousands to Princeton Public everyone is talking about,” says nies in the new industry of tomers were responsible for Library for purchase of books McManus. “For many years, green building a leg up. “We 2,000 out of a total of 300,000 related to the environment. this store was the alternative for help create the stepping stone,” letters asking the USDA to ex- Although the store was start- things in the marketplace — says McManus. “Whenever clude from the standards prod- ed by volunteers, the staff, now you can buy organic corn you use the stuff that’s avail- ucts that had been irradiated, which now numbers 47 full and chips at the Rite Aid drug- able, you help the marketplace planted in sewage-sludge fertil- part time, was always paid. Wa- store.” take the next step.” izer, or grown from genetically terman, who ran the first cafe, But not everyone is turned Whole Earth Center, 360 modified seed. When election says that people on the staff of- on to the advantages of living in time comes around, the Whole Nassau Street, Princeton ten come back after they have synch with the environment, 08540; 609-924-7377; Earth always puts out candi- left to do other things, and there and the store has a role to play dates’ voting records on envi- fax, 609-252-0865. Jen- ronmental issues. nifer Murray, general Princeton's Business and Entertainment Weekly manager. Telephone: 609-452-7000. Fax: 609-452-0033 Home page: www.princetoninfo.com