At Beloit's Bushel & Peck, you'll know where your food was grown

Years ago, a prominent corner in downtown Beloit seemed destined to become a parking lot.

But thanks to perseverance from city planners and the vision of two Monroe farmers, last month it opened as a highly anticipated local foods grocery store.

Rich Horbaczewski and Jackie Gennett left their IT jobs in corporate America about five years ago to pursue a more fulfilling life.

"We started as a tiny little farm hoping to sell tomatoes," Gennett said. That 130-acre Monroe farm business grew to include a Community Supported Agriculture program that includes drop-off points in Madison and Chicago, frequent farmers market visits and -- since mid-June — a private, for-profit grocery store.

Bushel & Peck offers a food philosophy that Gennett said is increasingly popular, addressing the public's "growing passion for knowing the source of your food and knowing where your food is coming from."

The store offers profiles of its producers and, Gennett hopes, the ability to put people in touch with the origin of their food.

Local, organic focus

"Our focus is on local and organic. The consumer who's purchasing a product from us is going to know where their food came from," she said. "This really puts the local community foods back into the mainstream."

Gennett credited the city of Beloit for working so expeditiously on the project once she and Horbaczewski expressed an interest. She said even the contractors on the project, most of whom are from the Beloit area, have been excited.

Kathleen Braatz, executive director of the Downtown Beloit Association, said she couldn't be happier about the building's new use. When Braatz started her job four years ago, the city had recently acquired the one-time Woolworth's building along with an agreement to demolish it and put in a parking lot. Things changed and Braatz said a community-initiated project was launched to see if a different outcome was possible.

The first step was stabilizing the building and restoring the fa?ade, which was completed in February 2007. All the while lurked the task of finding the right occupant.

"We wanted to encourage this building's highest use," Braatz said. The location is near where Beloit's farmer's market attracts more than 80 vendors in the summer -- something that triggered a discussion of a more permanent fixture.

Helps local vendors

"We started thinking about how we could support our local vendors," Braatz said. "So there was this great sort of conversation that started."

Braatz first met Horbaczewski and Gennett two years ago. When they inquired about available property, things started falling into place.

"Over time, this idea started to evolve," Braatz said. "In the end, I think we came out with the best possible scenario.

"It's a culmination of a lot of good work."

Braatz said she's not sure city officials could have picked something this perfect from the beginning, saying it works on many levels. The store diversifies the mix of retail in downtown Beloit, has caught the interest of people near and far and is expected to make the downtown a new destination spot for many, bringing support to other businesses as well.

"It's an economic driver," Braatz said. "We're very excited about this and feel that it is a unique building model."

Braatz said she's stopped to look at the block that features Bushel & Peck and tried to think of what it would be with a parking lot instead. She's thankful that didn't happen and appreciates the work of city officials and the farmers, who believe in restoration rather than demolition.

Bushel & Peck has an industrial feel, including cement floors, exposed brick and mason walls. The grocery's retail store covers 6,000 of the building's 10,000 square feet.

"We've tried to take a totally minimalist approach," Gennett said, noting it's an approach that's easier on the budget as well as the environment. The project used a lot of reclaimed materials and offers Beloit shoppers a unique environment.

"It's about the experience of food versus the emergency of food," Gennett said. Bushel & Peck also offers a caf? and Gennett said they hope to rent out the kitchen during down times to people who could use it to make items like baby food or jam.

Idea is awesome

Tory Miller, executive chef and co-owner of L'Etoile in Madison, said he loves the Bushel & Peck philosophy.

"When it comes to what you put in your body ... you should buy locally," Miller said. "Their idea is awesome."

Miller was already familiar with Horbaczewski and Gennett because L'Etoile buys all its chicken and some lamb from their Monroe farm.

"It's pretty shocking how much of a difference (there is)," he said of the taste and quality of the meat. "All chicken is not created equal."

Miller said it's encouraging to see a grocery store dedicated to local foods, a concept he said is definitely popular with chefs and catching on with consumers.

"A lot of us are kind of pushing to go backwards," he said. "One hundred years ago, if it wasn't grown locally, it wouldn't be at a store.

"I think it's a step in the right direction to get people closer to their food," he said. "It's a farmer's market every day of the week."

Gennett said she's witnessed a growing interest in local and organic foods in all walks of life.

"I believe it's really coming out into the mainstream," she said. And with rising gas prices decreasing the cost margin between local food and food shipped in from other parts of the country and world, local foods are becoming even more attractive and economical.

In the end, Gennett said, it's an age-old axiom that best sums up the interest in and importance of local foods: "I hate to be cliche about it, but you are what you eat."

Bushel & Peck
328 State Street
Summer hours:
8 a.m. - 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday,
7 a.m. - 6 p.m. Saturday,
8 a.m. - 6 p.m. Sunday.
Phone: 608-363-3911
www.bushelandpecks.com

Lisa Maddux is a freelance writer.