LAKEWOOD, Colo., Aug. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Natural Grocers, the 61 year old family run chain, will stake its claim this September as the official "Organic Month Headquarters." The company, which sells only 100% USDA Certified organic produce, will host an educational push for the entire month of September, which is nationally recognized as "Organic Harvest Month."

"Since we added produce racks to our stores in 1989 we have sold only organically grown produce. When the USDA finally established an officially recognized and regulated Organic standard in 2000, all the produce we sold already met that standard," said Kemper Isely, Natural Grocers' Co-President. "Other major grocery chains have recently begun to include organic options, but none of them sell exclusively 100% Organic Produce like we do.  Our decision to sell only organic produce from the start is based upon our core founding principles of providing consumers with the highest quality product choices that are good4u, good for the environment and good for the economy. Claiming the title, 'Organic Month Headquarters' is our way of showcasing our commitment to organic produce and our customers."

To learn more about Natural Grocers' September offerings visit: https://www.naturalgrocers.com/organic-month-HQ/

What's new at Natural Grocers, Your Organic Month Headquarters?

• Free organic apples for the first 400 customers at each Natural Grocers location on September 1.
• Free reusable shopping bag for the first 400 customers at each Natural Grocers location on September 1.
• Free classes where customers can learn about the benefits of choosing organic foods along with easy ways to incorporate organic vegetables into their everyday meals, including healthy tailgating options. A class titled "Fall in Love with Organics" will offer one winner at each class the chance to take home $50 for organic shopping in the store, and a bag full of 100% organic produce valued at $50. A second class titled "Elevate Your Tailgate," will offer healthy tailgating options for football fans.
• Free meal planners and recipes that educate customers on how they can incorporate more organic vegetables into their diets in an affordable way.
• Sampling Saturdays each weekend with opportunities to sample a variety of organic produce.
• An original song and video by Grammy Award-nominated Eco-Hip Hop artist DJ Cavem to inspire everyone to choose organic products. The song will be accompanied by a series of downloadable tips from DJ Cavem and Alkemia Earth on how to get your family to fall in love with eating more vegetables.

Reinventing Tailgating with Organics
Tailgating parties are known for their not so good for you food choices, but Natural Grocers has set out to offer game-day hosts the chance to enjoy a big game without the massive amounts of calories, artificial colors, preservatives and salt in traditional tailgating fare.

Natural Grocers will host an "Elevate Your Tailgate" class at every store; teaching football fans how to create a good4u tailgating party for their friends and family.

To showcase the new "good4u tailgating" concept the company will also host a free tailgating event in Denver Colorado on Thursday, September 8 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. The event will include free "good4u snack kabobs," and live music by Jakarta.  Exact details of the event will be posted in early September.

For downloadable b-roll of Natural Grocers' 100% organic produce visit https://vimeo.com/178940868 (Password organic).

About Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage
Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE: NGVC; NaturalGrocers.com) is a rapidly expanding specialty retailer of organic and natural groceries, body care and dietary supplements. The company offers a flexible, neighborhood-store format, affordable prices and free, science-based nutrition education programs to help customers make informed health and nutrition choices. Founded in Colorado in 1955, Natural Grocers has over 3,000 employees and operates 122 stores in 19 states.

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SOURCE Natural Grocers