home grown
Filed Under Going Green, Stuff | August 7, 2009
We stumbled across the Home Grow-In Grocer on a quest for something else, and what a lucky stumble it was. Tucked away on the corner of 18th and Columbia, they quietly opened three months ago and have fast become not just a neighborhood fixture but also a shopping destination for those from farther afield.
What’s so special about a neighborhood grocery store? Well, aside from being located on a residential street thanks to a grandfathered zoning clause, the Home Grow-In Grocer only sells products that are made in BC. That’s right, everything you find in store comes from small farms and producers in our fair province.
Their shelves are stocked with Anita’s Organic cookie, pancake and bread mixes; yogurts and ice cream from the Birchwood Dairy; organic chickens from Rockweld Farms – the only SPCA approved farm in Canada; and many more tempting goodies. All the fruits and veggies on offer are organically grown without sprays – many of the veggies come from the UBC Farm, while the fruit comes from growers in the Okanagan.
The community that owner Deb Reynolds has created is just as delicious as the products she stocks. Not only does she take knowing where your food comes from to a new level – she can tell you the whole story behind each of her suppliers – but she recently donated about five hundred pounds of fruit to the Mount Pleasant Community Centre’s pool party. You may have seen their sign thanking her as you drive along 16th.
Deb’s also an avid supporter of the Surrey Food Bank and plans are already afoot to start supporting the Greater Vancouver Food Bank as well. So far she’s managed to do everything on a shoestring budget but she hopes to attract an investor to up the ante a little.
And we love that kids are always welcome to grab an apple gratis and chomp on it while their parents shop. No matter what time of year you pop in Deb promises there’ll be free BC apples for BC babes.
Home Grow-In Grocer
www.home-growin.com
196 West 18th Avenue
604.708.0006
Thanks to Richard Eriksson for letting us use his personal photo for this article.
12 Responses to “home grown”
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Let us know what you think or share your great finds with us so we can share them with other Vancouver mothers!
thanx so very much for writing the story about our neighbourhood grocery store…
we who live in the Mt Pleasant/Riley Park feel blessed that Deb has decided to settle in our neighbourhood…
I have 5 children and on different visits ..Deb has always given special treats to each and every one of them
the lady is amazing and is not part of our community …she is creating our community
and we just hope all the other BC communities will find their own Deb
again, thanx for such a wonderful story
Hey everyone
I am writing to say that there is a group of us “buggy moms” that visit her regularly
I know I enjoy and appreciate the hospitality
the Deb extends everytime you enter
The Home Grow-in Grocer…her products are innovative yet down to earth
this is a real little country store in the heart of the city…but what is most amazing is
the lady (Deb) behind it all
we often venture into her store
after we drop off out older children
at the school
and she is always there to welcome us
whether we have the monies or not
she allows us to venture home with our purchases
and she trusts we will return on the honor
system to pay ,,,at a later date..simply amazing
her products are amazing and out of this world
BUT what amazes me is she knows most of the history behind each and everything she sells
I want to thank you for writing
such a beautiful article on such
an wonderful store and business
and on a beautiful and gracious lady
Deb is the complete package
of what we all attain to be
she is a working role model for us all
her generosity to the community
is re-creating the community here in MT Pleasant
keep up the good work Deb… we all luv ya !!
I have always been impressed with the content of what your site carries for us moms and how we can keep connected BUT THIS STORY is bestest in the west. I have to thank you so very much for a well written article and for the information on this store. I actually went into the shop today for the first time and was amazed. I could not believe the extent and trouble that had gone in to obtaining product from around B.C.
I personally met Deb (the owner of the store) and was totally amazed at how gracious and generous she is. During my visit there was young couple (with 3 small children) come who were comparing prices of various goods from bread, to yogurt and the fresh produce from the UBC farm. They were walking around with a calculator trying to balance a budget and obtain what they needed for groceries, Deb appraoched them and with the graciousness of an angel and very quickly she had them in conversation and was trying to help them fill their grocery list. The young couple had decided to not purchase yogurt and fresh fruit as their budget would not allow it. Deb came out of the back of the store with a huge plastic bag of various fruits — peaches, apricots and some apples that she told them she would have to compost due to the ripeness of the fruits and offered them to the young family actually telling them they would be helping her out by taking them. They took the fruit and departed the shop and as I stood there with my mouth hung open Deb turned to me and asked if this was my first visit as she did not recognize me. Who in Vancouver recognizes even their neighbor. I questioned Deb about what I had seen with the young couple and she explained they visit her store every week and she is able to help them with various groceries most times explaining that the father had been injured in an accident at work and was no longer able to collect a pension and she made a remark that amazed,,she said “in 2004 she ahd been injured on the job and had travelled that journey and received no help” she further explained that now she was in a position to help..she would as long as she could”
I pulled my jaw up off the floor, made my purchases and departed, promising to return.
I tell this story 5 hours later as I am still amazed at the generosity and kindness to total strangers that this lady gives, her friends and family must be very blessed.
Thank you again for such a wonderful story and for the heads up as to her shop.
I will be returning to do my weekly shop there.
great story…
great store..
even
greater human being!!!!!
I could not believe all I heard on this lady and today I visited her store ..urged on by what I read in your story…the skeptic in me believing that no one was as great good and gracious as everyone had said…sadly and with humility ..I have to admit I was proved
wrong
I am a single mother of 3 young sons and I am trying to raise them on living strictly off student loans, bursaries and my modest income from part time cleaning jobs..
I went in with a modest budget and came away with 2 bags of goodies for my boys and only having to pay for half of it…Deb’s reasoning was …she needed a taste tester ..and could I please do her a favor ..try out the sample foods and feed them to my family for free…and let her know if they were good
I came away from Home Grow-in Grocer with my faith restore in people who genuinely care..
thanx again
great story …
great store
[...] When I popped into the Home Grow-In Grocer to get my Granola Girl fix a few weeks ago I blogged about it and then thought long and hard as to whether or not it would be a good subject for one of our daily editorial. It wasn’t particularly mum and baby focused but I thought the hook of her having free fruit for kids allowed it to slip in under the wire. And am I ever glad it made the cut, as the article has garnered some seriously amazing comments from mums who were either familiar with it already, or who have checked it out in the interim. Seriously you have to check them out at the bottom of the article. [...]
[...] final stop was at the Home Grow-In. Debbie Reynolds, the owner, is a tour-de-force! She is passionate about local food and her store [...]
I heard about this article from some friends of mine and took the time to check this little store out — I went last Saturday (August 15) and was not planning on doing shopping –simply to go and check things out
I have 4 children ranging in ages from 2.5 to 10 (3 boys and my daughter is my youngest)– who were all with me
well needless to say –I have to tell you that nothing I planned that day happened–
as it turns out it was the four-month-versary for The Home Grow-in Grocer and everything in the store was ” buy one — get one half off”
we arrived just before noon and the line up to get in was totally amazing — it seemed everyone knew someone there and the positive energy was unbelieveable — and in the middle of it all — was the owner of the store – Deb.
to make a long story short
all my children got their free apple (or two)
and my youngest also had a peach given to her
I did my complete shop for the week in the store
and only spent about $100 amazing prices fabulous produce from the UBC farm and the most gracious lady you will meet
I will be returning to continue to do my weekly shopping there and support our local farms.
I now do believe angels walk this earth after meeting the owner Deb. The lady is simply amazing and ever so generous.
Just wanted to a BIG thank you all for your support and kind words…and I enjoy being able to open the store in your community
hope to see you all soon !!!
regards Deb
[...] very handy insulated feeding sets to the discovery of a true neighbourhood grocery store with the Home Grow In Grocer and the delicious, organic treats for tots from Little Tree Foods. If you need a refresher just [...]
[...] neighbourhood feeling and great products carried at the Home Grow-In Grocer made this your hands-down fave in our going green category. And talk about hyper local, owner Deb [...]
Just an update about Deb Reynolds and The Home Grow-In Grocer. As of Thursday, March 10, 2011, her store is in receivership and she owes a lot of people a lot of money. If you or anyone else you know has done business with her, please contact the Vancouver Police Department – they are looking for any hidden bank accounts she may have. On a final note: do not give Deb any money – she has done many blatantly fraudulent transactions, and has approached many different people petitioning for loans.
Another update on Deb Reynolds: Please do not think this woman is, ir was ever, generous. She was doing this with everyone else’s money. That apple that she gave your child?…It was brought there from the honest toil of a Fraser Valley farmer, of whom Deb Reynolds still owes tens of thousands of dollars. That half price sale? Brought to you by all the suppliers in the Home Grow-In that Deb never paid. She sold the goods for half price, knowing that she would never pay anyone anything, and pocketed the money. Moderator, please remove all these ‘feel-good’ posts about this horrible, horrible person. We want to stop here forever from doing this to anyone else. She is a con artist, a pathological liar, and a criminal with intent to steal as much as she can, from whoever she can.