Everybody’s Whole Foods Installs New Solar Array

There’s a bright blue glow reflecting off the top of Everybody’s Whole Foods Store in Fairfield, Iowa. That luminescence can be attributed to the recent expansion of solar power arrays installed by Ideal Energy. Once completed, Everybody’s will have a 44.88 kW of solar power that they will generate independently. Collectively, the arrays of solar panels will produce 57,802 kWh on an annual basis.  If you were to ask the owners of Everybody’s how much money they will end up saving from this investment, however, they’ll be quick to insist that profit was not the main motivation of the expansion.

Nathan Gammet is a man who carries himself with a genuine ease, and it’s easy to see why. As a native of Fairfield, he first started working at Everybody’s as a cashier. After building up years of experience, he is now the new co-owner alongside John Day. I sat down with Nathan to ask a few questions about the exciting addition to their solar roof:

KK: Why did Everybody’s decide to invest in solar energy?

NG: The obvious answer as to why a business want to invest in solar power is because of the federal and state tax credits that come with it, but personally it was mostly about setting the example of being more green. We use a lot of electricity with all of our coolers and freezers. I love the idea that we can just make our own power from the sun. It feels good to do it and I love that we have that technology.

KK: What is the message Everybody’s is wanting to send to the community of Fairfield by expanding on their solar power?

NG: With climate change happening it’s important for everyone to do their part to take care of the environment. It’s much more sustainable. For example, we’ve also been encouraging people to bring reusable cloth bags for their groceries instead of plastic. So we are doing what we can. We have to do what is practical and this is on that course.

KK: Community seems to be a very important part of the Everybody’s experience. What role does the partnership between community and business play for Everybody’s?

NG: It plays a huge part. The three main points of our business is good food, community service, and customer service. We have a huge community bulletin board right as you walk in.

KK: Outside there is a new deck being built. It seems like Everybody’s is really growing in a lot of ways!

NG: Well, we just keep working to improve the business, and while we do that our business just keeps growing along with the improvements. It’s important to keep investing in your business because that shines through to your customers. Because of that Everybody’s is a place people love to come to.

KK: What does the typical Everybody’s customer care about?

NG: I think the main thing that draws people here is the quality of our food. People want to eat organic food, they want to eat food that is going to be good for them. Maybe they have health concerns that we can help them with. One of my goals is to broaden the appeal of Everybody’s so that we will get customers from all over. I think the free Wi-Fi helps too.

KK: What are some of the ways Everybody’s is involved with the community of Fairfield?

NG: We are involved with a lot of charity work. We do weekly donations to The Lords Cupboard. We sponsor local school activities like Fairfield little league.

KK: Speaking of school, which university did you attend?

NG: I went to Maharishi International University and graduated with a degree in Vedic Science.

KK: Looking around the store I see a lot of local and alternative health products. Is that something customers should expect to see in the future?

NG: Absolutely. I love that side of the business. Building relationships with all of the local vendors and helping small business. They tell us they want to make something and sell it, we help with that. We’ve had several people start businesses with us and we’ve and seen them grow into something pretty big. That’s always fun to watch happen.

KK: What are the energy efficient expansions that Everybody’s sees for it’s future?

NG: I would love to continue to expand our solar possibilities and eventually have one-hundred percent of our electricity generated by solar power. With this new project we will currently be at thirty percent. So we have a ways to go. Also, as our generators break we plan on replacing them with more energy efficient versions. Last year we replaced our furnaces, and that helped reduce our energy consumption.

But it’s not just Nathan that appreciates the benefits of solar power, Everybody’s customers are taking notice, too. Suzie, a regular at Everybody’s, shared her thoughts while relaxing on their outdoor patio:

“It sounds like a good thing. Since the energy comes from the sun, I’m assuming it’s more convenient. Everybody’s is my favorite grocery store. ” She laughs. Her friend Arianna sitting next to her chimes in, “I think it’s a cool thing. I see Everybody’s always trying to improve and do new things in terms of efficiency. It’s very impressive.”

Samantha, a department manager at Everybody’s, was very excited to talk about the solar panel addition.

“When I go upstairs and I see the electrical box just spinning and spinning, the only thing I can think of is that has to be so expensive. I think about how much electricity a store actually uses and it boggles my mind. I’m very excited that we are utilizing solar energy. It’s exciting to work here. One thing I can say about the owners and employees at Everybody’s is that we treat everyone like family.”

A large part of Everybody’s values circles around being an example of how to be a profitable business while also being environmentally conscious. In terms of specific environmental benefits, the expansion will offset 964 tonnes of Co2 over the span of twenty-five years. That is the equivalent of planting 31,755 trees, or powering 130 homes for a year.

The mission of Everybody’s is clear — to nourish their community and the environment through high quality foods, education, philanthropy, and community outreach programs. Take a drive down to the corner of Kirkwood Ave and North 2nd street to see for yourself. You’ll agree that it’s a safe bet to say Everybody’s indeed cares about everybody.

All pictures by Cody Weber of Weber Photo.

Kat Kanan is a highly motivated writer and creative entrepreneur. She has been featured on MTV, published writing on Thought Catalog, and is the navigator for the highly publicized Forgotten Iowa project. As a perfectionist, she plans on using her skills to make a positive change in the world.