The Green Barn, Lynden, Washington

In a region of the United States known for the discriminating tastes of its inhabitants, why

THE GREEN BARN
8858 Guide Meridian Rd, Lynden, WA
PHONE (360) 318-8869

isn't overflowing with customers every minute they're open is a mystery to me. This place is simply

THE BEST SHOPPING EXPERIENCE TO BE HAD IN WHATCOM COUNTY.

You know how when you go to, say, the local Co-Op, and everyone there has this big attitude problem and they're all wearing Guatemalan hand-woven sashes and half the white people have nasty dirty old dreadlocks and all the produce is tiny and everything is overpriced?

THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN AT THE GREEN BARN.
AND THE PRICES ARE LOWER THAN ANYPLACE ELSE IN WHATCOM COUNTY.
PERIOD.
8858 Guide Meridian Rd, Lynden, WA
(360) 318-8869

How do I love thee?

THE HELP IS UNFAILINGLY HELPFUL. (Not to mention straight-up adorable!)
They know their products, they're polite, they will help you load your car ...it's like something out of the 1950's. They know your name. They smile. THEY CAN BE FOUND. They will take suggestions. They will special order for you and then CALL YOU WHEN THE ORDER COMES IN. You can RELY on them. I wanted to put up some okra, I mentioned it; damned if they didn't have okra in stock for me the next time I went in. GOOD okra too-even though it's unusual for this area.

THE PRODUCE IS GLORIOUS. RIGHT DOWN TO THE LAST GRAPE.

THE PRODUCE IS HONESTLY AND BEAUTIFULLY MARKET DRESSED.
What this means is, first of all, the stuff is CLEAN. Secondly, that you get trimmed, stalky white leek-you aren't being charged for a bunch of green and roots that you won't use. Head broccoli that isn't mostly stem. Stripped and topped onions. Cheerful asparagus (you can tell) standing happily in fresh, clean water, not stacked on its sides like New Orleans flood victims. Potatoes that do not look as though they went though the World Series. Clean, thriving greens. Cukes that are not coated in lard.

THEY CARRY A SELECTION OF EVERYTHING. This isn't the chain supermarket where you only get one type of tomato and one onion and that's it. When they can possibly obtain a selection, they have it. And it is always GLORIOUS.

THEIR PRODUCE, when at all possible, is GROWN LOCALLY. Much of it is ORGANIC. The culture and spray details are posted clearly.

THEY HAVE A DAIRY CASE! (Of course they had to fight the city of Lynden best two falls out of three to get a permit for the damn thing. Hey City of Lynden- support local farms and small business or quit whining about the demise of local farms and small business, OK???)

The dairy case carries LOCALLY AND ORGANICALLY GROWN DAIRY PRODUCTS...things that are sold on the specialty market in other parts of the world, kids! CHEAPER THAN ANYPLACE ELSE IN THE COUNTY!!! The only other places you can get this stuff is right from the supplier direct (and then you have to hope someone is at home when you drive up) or at the Co-Op...and the Co-Op jacks up the price and makes you bag it yourself.

GREEN BARN BAGS YOUR PURCHASES AND LOADS THEM INTO THE CART FOR YOU. FOR CHEAPER THAN ANYPLACE ELSE IN THE COUNTY.

Green Barn carries a selection of LOCALLY PRODUCED SUPPLEMENTS, HERBS AND SPICES. The 'Flora'' marque isn't widely known, but it's good stuff, and once again, it's a local business and uses local products.

DID I MENTION THAT THE HELP IS ADORABLE?

YOU CAN PURCHASE IN BULK.

THE SCALES ARE ACCURATE, CLEAN AND EASY TO FIND.

THEY PROVIDE GOOD QUALITY BAGS AND TAGS. Not the crappy ones that are cloudy and too small and tear; the GOOD, STURDY, CLEAR ones. And quality paper bags too, in different sizes. You can also buy a canvas re-useable bag from them.

THE WHOLE PLACE IS CLEAN.
Surgically clean. The sales floor, the bathroom, even the parking lot! I cannot imagine what kind of effort this must take on the part of the staff; they're literally in the middle of a cornfield in a (very snazzy, be it told) barn. But irregardless of the fact that the place is hanging wide open half the time, it is SPOTLESS. Not even the chain groceries down the street can say that. Believe me. I KNOW.

THERE IS ALWAYS PARKING.

THEY CARRY (in season) LOCALLY AND ORGANICALLY GROWN ORNAMENTAL AND VEGETABLE PLANT STARTS.

They carry ORGANIC, LOCALLY PRODUCED HONEY AND BEE PRODUCTS.
You can buy organic beeswax here! That may not mean much to many folks, but I go through a lot of the stuff sewing and I really, really appreciate being able to find exactly what pleases my heart.

THEY CARRY CANNED AND PACKAGED STAPLE GOODS.

Despite the fact that they are in Lynden, they are NOT DUTCHY-WUTCHY. Although they do carry Dutch products...Asian, Hindi and Mexican ones, too.

THEY HAVE DIFFERENT KINDS OF SHOPPING BASKETS. You can shop with a carry basket or with a variety of rolling carts in different sizes, some of which have child seats. These are ALWAYS CLEAN AND IN GOOD REPAIR.

If you are a lacto-ovo vegetarian this place is your NIRVANA. You can comfortably rely on this place to supply all your food needs ethically without ever having to do research or think twice about what you buy.
Period.

Now, I do anyway because I was a lacto-ovo vegetarian for many years; it's become a reflex. I'm not just guessing when I say all this stuff. I know that what I'm getting here is the best of the best because I've already done my research independently, and because I am a food nerd. We make the same decisions time and time again, they and I....in fact, they've taught me things about local supply that I never knew. If I were starting out again with little kids, this is the place I would feed my family out of EXCLUSIVELY. This place right here, at 8858 Guide Meridian Rd, Lynden, WA(360) 318-8869

SUPPORTING YOUR NEIGHBORS IN THEIR EFFORTS TO FARM SUSTAINABLY AND PRODUCE A SUPERIOR PRODUCT IS A GOOD THING.
It is a political act, not to mention an ethical act, to choose to spend your money this way. When it also saves you money? When those politics also mean that the quality of your life improves immediately-the next time you pick up an apple and bite into it...how can you beat that? You honestly don't have to put up with underdeveloped produce and suspect European cheeses, overpriced canned goods and under-packaged staple items through which unknown fingers have been running. You have the option of spending ECONOMICALLY, LOCALLY AND RESPONSIBLY for SUPERIOR GOODS.

DO THE RIGHT THING AND MAKE YOUR LIFE BETTER! SHOP AT THE GREEN BARN!

8858 Guide Meridian Rd, Lynden, WA

(360) 318-8869

_____________
here's a lovely mappal view of how to get there from Canada!! both of these maps will benefit from being enlarged. 'A' is the correct new location...they're now on the corner of Badger and Guide Meridian straight down the road from the Lynden Border Crossing. Going south, on the left just as you pass the light on Badger.

View Larger Map


..and here's how to get there from Bellingham! remember, they're on the corner of Badger and Guide Meridian now, on your right as you head north.

View Larger Map