Read on for a chance to win a CD set of Putumayo’s best-selling French collection, available in most Whole Foods Market Stores. Dan Storper is the CEO and founder of Putumayo World Music. UPDATE: Thanks to everyone that entered. Congratulations to our randomly chosen winner, Nicole!

Did you catch the new reality cooking competition, “The Taste,” on ABC? Visit
Catch the new reality cooking competition, “The Taste,” on Tuesdays, (8-10 p.m. EST) on ABC. We’re excited to have some of the show’s participants – competitors and mentor-judges alike – share their stories with readers of the Whole Story blog.
You know what’s sweet? Giving a
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNERS KERI FROM AUSTIN, TX, SUDHA FROM MINNEAPOLIS, MN, MICHELE FROM LOUISVILLE, KY, CHARLOTTE FROM EUCLID, OH AND JESSICA FROM HALETHROPE, MD. THANKS FOR ALL OF YOUR COMMENTS!




Flying into Switzerland I am always amazed by the mountains. The world famous Alps, home to mountaineers, skiers and even stories about elephants crossing (not sure how this ever happened). In my visits to the country I have always been impressed by the pristine wonder of nature.
Trick or Treat! To many of us, those words are terrifying. Not because of the all those ghosts and goblins wandering around. It’s because of the shocking amount of candy in our midst. All those horrifyingly unnatural artificial colors and flavors and all those preservatives better suited for a mummy than a mommy. Eeeeekkk!
While October is Non-GMO Month, today, 10-10-10, is Non-GMO Day! What are you doing to celebrate? Here are some ideas:
Read on for a chance to win a case of Nature's Path Organic Granola Bars for telling us what you think about GMOs.
Get Up to Speed…
Every October thousands of high profile companies launch expensive ad campaigns designed to support “the cure” as part of Breast Cancer Awareness month. Retail shelves are lined with everything from pink mixers to pink toenail polish.
October 2010 is our first (and hopefully annual) Non-GMO Month, an event that introduces and celebrates the “Non-GMO Project Verified” seal, a first-of-its-kind certification program that Whole Foods Market fully supports.
Are you planning an Oktoberfest celebration? We doubt anyone can top the ten million pints of beer and more than ¾ million sausages consumed at Munich's Oktoberfest. Of course, they have a reputation to uphold as the birthplace of Oktoberfest back in 1810 celebrating of the wedding of Crown Prince Luitpold I and Princess Theressa of Bavaria.



It's our big 3-0 this month. What a crazy, fun ride since we opened that first store in Austin, Texas on September 20, 1980. In the following 30 years, we grew from 19 team members in one small store to more than 55,000 team members in nearly 300 stores in the U.S, Canada and the U.K. Wow!


Did you know that Sara Bareilles' new album is coming out? Well, it is and we are sponsoring a 


As an avid homebrewer who is also environmentally conscientious, I’ve looked for creative ways to use the byproducts of brewing beer, including the spent grain.
Congratulations to JJ and Adrienne for winning their respective cat and dog each a fantastic care package! And thanks to all of you who submitted a response; you gave us lots of ideas for our own pampered pooches and crafty kitties.

















We opened our very first Whole Foods Market store in Austin, Texas on September 20, 1980. Thirty years and hundreds of stores later we owe much of our success to the love of our Team Members. In honor of Team Member Appreciation Week, here are 30 reasons we love them back!
Our Team Members:


Christian P. is our randomly selected winner of the 5-title Putumayo CD collection. Thanks everyone for your entries!














Do you think of the New Year as a blank slate? Then let's start off the year by filling in that blank. Yep, get those brain cells working and churning and decide what special things you are going to accomplish this year. And guess what?
It’s that time of year again – when we examine our waistlines and lifestyle choices and set ambitious goals for the New Year. We’ve got lots of suggestions to share throughout the month of January, but we wanted to kick it all off with three very special ones we're focusing on and a way for you to join in!


Jim Brickman ("America's romantic piano sensation" who was just nominated for a Grammy for Faith as Best New Age Album) is a dedicated Whole Foods Market customer and shares his thoughts here about which healthy snacks he packs on the road.
I work in a part of Whole Foods Market that our customers probably don't think about very much - one of our regional distribution centers. Here in Maryland, my facility stocks and moves most of the product that you find on the shelves in our Mid-Atlantic Region stores.

It's October and that means it's pumpkin ale time in the beer world. Check your local store to discover which of these delightful brews are available in your neck of the woods.



Neil Fusco knows tomatoes. A trained chef and restaurateur, he is a native of the legendary San Marzano region of Italy. Growing up around some of the best tomatoes in the world, it is fitting that Neil would eventually come up with pasta sauces of his own.






What I wouldn't give to be able to tour with the Dave Matthews Band. Oh yeah, the exciting locales and great music is seriously appealing, but what puts me right over the edge is the incredible food. Have you ever thought about what it takes to feed everyone involved with putting on these awesome shows?
Weekends are treasured for having time to kick back, relax and, maybe, test out a new brew. We created our Adventures in Brewing program to help you do just that. Each month, we feature two outstanding brews with unique stories to match their unique flavors. One of our August brews is Pilsner Urquell.
Every summer season there are a few special items I just can't wait to see in our stores, and Joe Soghomonian's certified organic champagne grapes are on the top of my list come the middle of July. I've been eating Joe's grapes for years and his champagne grapes are among my all-time favorite produce items.
I get to see a lot of cool products in my job. One of the coolest products we are currently carrying at Whole Foods Market is Siggi's Skyr. Not only is it a great yogurt but the back story is awesome.


















My team has the exciting responsibility of overseeing our national music program - you know, the CDs in our stores. We launched the "Artists Discovery Series" to celebrate exceptional emerging artists who share a passion for the causes and social initiatives that we support as well.
WOW!! What a great green store for the Lakewood neighborhood!
As many value experts will tell you, one of the best ways to avoid impulse buying is to come to the store with a list of what you need. Great advice. But, as we all know, new products come out that fit our needs and we really want to try!






You may remember back in summer when we first started up on 
Hi! My name is Hannah and I am a member of Teens for Safe Cosmetics: New York.
Each September, I look forward to the start of the new school year; but this September, all I can think about is the “Teens Turning Green” collection. In just a few weeks, this fabulous line of products will be available at Whole Foods Markets nationwide!
Hi my name is Mattie and I am a member of Teens for Safe Cosmetics: New York.
Hey! I’m Emily, and I am a sophomore in High School and a part of Teens for Safe cosmetics. A few weeks ago, Teens for Safe Cosmetics had our kickoff meeting for the 2008/ 09 campaign. It was a great meeting with tons of fabulous ideas for our Teens Turning Green Collection, for events, and for new advocacy strategies.

