Wheatsfield Cooperative

One day it hits you: time to start living healthy. For me that meant cutting all animal sources of food. «Isn’t that hard?!» everyone exclaimed. It isn’t when you have the right source for great tasting food. Wheatsfield is more like a friendly family that takes joy in providing the right food choices. It’s up to you to try them, and they don’t judge. Try it, and decide to get healthy.

Awesome place with helpful staff. Yummy food!
I shop there often because I know that they choose great things to carry and sell that are good for the health of my family. When you talk to the produce manager he really cares about what he is bringing in for his customers. The deli is also a treat. Can’t wait to watch this place grow with even more things to offer!

Once upon a time, I really craved sushi but the sushi places I wanted to go to weren’t within a reasonable walking distance from my house (think very short). As I was snapchatting my sad, sad story, a friend told me to check out the sushi at Wheatsfield and low and behold, they had my California and spicy tuna rolls. The place, I’ve since then determined, was like a slice of heaven, a ray of sunshine, an ibuprofen after a crazy night drinking, all those things and more. Maybe I’m exaggerating. Maybe I just convinced myself to go get more sushi. Maybe I convinced you to check it out. Who knows? The staff is friendly, the organic selection is wonderful, and the location is ideal. Classy, convenient, and affordable! What a great business!

This is a small community-​owned health food store. It has a nice selection of items for a store so small and produce looked nice and fresh. Prices were reasonable for the items they carry. Checkout was fast and friendly.

This place is small, and the selection of organic/​gluten free/​GMO free food was no better than Hy-​Vee. I was one of maybe 5 customers in the store at the time, and not a single employee greeted me or anything. The store is pretty clean, and the shelves were well stocked, but I still won’t be coming back here.

I was VERY disappointed when I visited today. The selection was pretty good, and the prices were decent considering it’s mostly organic and a lot of it was local. My issue was less with the stock and the prices, and is based on the customer service. It was so terrible! I passed SIX workers and never got a greeting. Not only that, but no one smiled, said hello, asked me if I was finding everything alright, etc. I wanted to love the store, but the workers were very standoffish and frankly rude. Even the cashier pretty much ignored me! She didn’t even take the time to tell me the total cost of my purchase. The whole transaction was silent. I left very disheartened and as of right now will not be returning.

Not a member, so I cannot speak to the advantages of that, but a great place to find ingredients that we were used to having access to, like Tahini to make hummus.
As others have mentioned, it is more expensive than regular grocery shopping but that’s been the case for every Wheatsfield-​like store I have been too (and you probably know what you are looking for if you go there).
The food there is good, based on the one time we ate there, but we will be back. Great organic-​market option to have in Ames and worth checking out.

It’s a decent health food store. I’m not 100% certain but I think they also participate in fair trade. There’s also little items like wooden travel utensils, books, scarves, and so on, but primarily it’s a health food store selling groceries and prepared foods in a little deli section.
It is on the pricey side but these types of stores are. They frequently have sales and specials so instead of spending $ 18 on a 4 oz jar of something you’re only spending $ 10.

I’ve been here a handful of times since I’ve lived in Ames, and I must honestly admit that I’ve been treated amazingly. The staff has always been extremely helpful — even if my questions were dumb — and no one ever gave me a «holier than thou» attitude or anything. This co-​op is open to the public for shopping as well, but members will enjoy a discount off their purchases. I’d shop here more often (honestly), but the prices are higher than «non-​organic» versions, so this is a store I only tend to come to when I specifically am seeking out a good selection of REAL and organic items.
For example, this latest time, I was looking for a shampoo that would have minimal toxins instead of my current mainstream shampoo. They had an entire little section that must have had at least ³⁰⁄₄₀ varieties to choose from. Not all of them were toxin-​free (being organic doesn’t guarentee that), but using information from the Cosmetic Database and comparing to the available items, I found one that was minimally problematic.
They also carry a lot of stuff that you can’t get anywhere else in town. By a lot, I mean A LOT. When it comes to beauty products, they carry the «standard» Burt’s Bees that you’d find anywhere else all over town, but they also carry 10 – 15 other brands. It gives you a very nice selection. Also, while the health-​food section at Hy-​Vee carries about 5 essential oils, this Co-​Op has an INSANE amount. I didn’t count, but it has to be 60+.
So, basically, while I don’t come here for my regular grocery run, I love knowing that it’s in town and buying from there when I can or want to see a full, natural selection. It’s more expensive than I’d like, but I really love the atmosphere and the «small business» feel that it has going on, so I really prefer to support them when I can. The employees actually seem happy and like they enjoy themselves, the store is clean, simple, and easy to navigate, and everything is honestly so peaceful. Love this place.

Love Wheatsfield with all my heart! This is the place in Ames that you are guaranteed to be welcomed with a huge smile!
The knowledge of the staff is 2^nd to none and the selection of great quality food and supplements is 2^nd to none!
I have been a member here since 2006 and have had the opportunity to see the store grow over the last few years into one of the finest Co-Op’s I have ever been too!
They have a great salad bar, hot bar, bakery goods, deli goods if you are looking for meals on the run! They have a huge produce department, and huge bulk section.
Lots of Coffee’s and tea’s, meats, and beers, and all the packaged Vegan goodies one would want!
They have Wi-​Fi so you can grab a coffee and meal and sit here and work! They also do great classes and are so community oriented! This is the place I will be a member at till I’m gone, even though I live in Des Moines now I love and support this store!

There are lots of reasons to love this place. The selection of fresh, local, organic, and specialty food is top notch. The cheese selection is one of the best I’ve seen in Ames. The staff is friendly and always willing to help you, and if the don’t know something, they will find someone who does. We’ve attended several of their workshops and found them highly informative and beneficial. There is always plenty of parking and the snacks in the isles make the shopping experience fun. Thanks to Wheatsfield for being an awesome neighbor, and supporter of Ames and the surrounding community.

I just want to hang out here all day! Love the salad, soup and hot bar. Great selection of smoothies and on-​the-​go beverages, supplements, produce, and healthy snacks. Also great local wine and beer and fun events.

This is pretty much the best place to buy groceries in Iowa. Pioneer Coop in Iowa City is a rival, but you won’t be disappointed with Wheatsfield! You can trust that everything you buy here was selected by a staff that is almost sure to be more demanding than you. Awesome staff, always super nice. Plus they have classes and loads of deals for members, so become one! Oh and I love the signs telling you how many miles between the store and the source of each product.

I’ve been shopping at Wheatsfield before but this was my first visit since they moved to their snazzy new digs at the end of Main St. The store was bright, clean and well-​organized. I especially liked the call-​outs for Iowa products like Beeler’s bacon (winner of our family’s 2012 bacon-​off). The organic produce is fresh and attractively displayed. They also have a good selection of bulk items as well as good-​looking prepared foods. Co-​op members get access to discounts and specials.

So this store is pretty great, so why 3 stars? More on that later. They have a great diversity of products that you can’t find anywhere else in Ames, and lots of fresh products which is great! I love helping and buying local and organic which this store helps to do greatly. Some stuff is «pricey» but not really, I mean it’s healthy, and healthy things are more expensive, if you wanna complain about the prices, then go buy doritos at Hyvee and a Big Mac at McDonalds. Health is probably an area where you would wanna spend more — not less. Anyways, I enjoy shopping here very much, and I’m so glad they have that Kombucha! That’s awesome. I only wish they had a bigger seafood selection, but hey I understand it’s Ames and the midwest. My problem with this store is the customer service. I am all for being pro-​earth, but God forbid I forget to bring my own bag and have to get a paper bag, and you would think I just insulted the cashiers mother, like seriously? Calm down a little bit, giving me that paper bag is not going to destroy earth, however your attitude will definitely make people less likely to come to your store again. It’s all about customer service people.

I am grateful to have such a fantastic co-​op in Ames. Becoming a member was one of the first things on my to-​do list when I moved here.
The meat selection is small, but they have a great produce department. They also have a deli and I will occasionally pick up a salad or two, which are always very good.
The beer selection is great too! They carry a lot of local and regional craft brews.

This store is pretty awesome. It’s an alternative to your Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s. It is a bit small though, but it is a co-​op so you’re not going to get everything you’d get at a WF here. However, its small, intimate feel makes up for that, especially if you’re just popping in for a few things.
One thing I did notice is — pricey! My, my… very pricey. But if you’re going to eat healthy, this would be the place to head to.
My favorite part was the peanut butters and almond butters you can get — you can even grind the nuts right there — now that’s fresh!
There is also a small serve-​yourself food area, and a place to eat in the front of the store. I did not partake, but the soups looked delicious. The other foods looked so-​so.
I am assuming you can join the co-​op, but I did not ask… um, mostly because I do not live in Iowa! Haha, but anyway, this is a cute little grocery store.

On the one hand this store is small, limited, and pricey, but that’s in comparison to Whole Foods in Chicago where I just moved from and price is because it is organic, so it’s just the name of the game. Although they’re a coop and members pay a fee to join, the discounts are limited and hard to earn. It is a good place, if nothing else to find a variety of bulk foods and local beers and wines. The staff is young, hipster and friendly. The parking is generous and the hours are decent. I stopped by on a Sunday evening when most things nearby are closed but they were open, thank goodness.

I stopped in at the Wheatsfield Coop this afternoon. I had previously shopped at the previous smaller location that was next to the Octagon in the centre of Downtown Ames. And as it turns out, my parents are members!
By Bay Area or Portland Standards, Wheatsfield is still a modest (albeit roomier) enterprise. The store is on the West end of Main Street and offers generous parking. I was impressed with its selection, in addition to a separate Deli and seating areas. It appears to serve its Ames clientele well and is definitely worth your grocery store business consideration.

We visited the new Wheatsfield Grocery location recently after an extended break of several years between visits. The larger size has allowed Wheatsfield to break out of it’s traditional market of organic and sensitive eaters in to a much broader and full service grocery. There’s a lot more to enjoy at the new store and we found it very entertaining to walk down the aisles to see a lot of specialty products that appeal to just about everyone.
I am eagerly awaiting the possibility of eating at their full service deli. I thought it was particularly of note that there was a meat department with clearly labeled country of origin.
Hands down the coolest feature of this place is the nut-​butter bar located at the back of the building where you can purchase freshly prepared peanut, almond and cashew butter by the pound! They also give you a token discount of a nickel for bringing your own bags.
So cool, we’re planning on joining the co-​op.