Joshua Crabtree ’94 and Rainbow Solomon Crabtree ’99 say the store they run is “more like a community social center.” Their business, Nature’s Storehouse on Main Street in Canton, which they have owned and operated since 2002, offers organic foodstuffs and other products ranging from herbs and spices, teas and fresh produce (much of it locally grown in season) to soaps, hand lotions, breads and dietary supplements. St. Lawrence County maple products, gluten-free rice, yogurts, coffee beans, paper towels and lip balm are among the many goods that crowd the shelves of what was once a saloon; in fact, the tavern’s marble bar and mirror are still there, providing an ideal display area for body care products.

But it’s the other amenities that also make this “not your typical grocery store,” says Josh. A chalkboard advertises the day’s soup and sandwich.  Posters and flyers advertise an array of events in town and on campus, and function as conversation-starters among their customers, a mix of area residents and collegians. A massage therapist holds office hours in a homey room in the back.

Josh spent summers in Canton as a youth, with relatives who were involved with several local enterprises. “That’s where I got a taste of small-town business,” he says. The multi-field major and freelance writer returned to Canton after college, and when Nature’s Storehouse was put up for sale, he and Rainbow bought it.

“Alternative, complementary medicine has always been an interest of mine,” says Rainbow, a Laurentian Singer and sociology major who did an honors project on the topic in the North Country and worked in the store for three years before becoming a co-owner. “A lot of people come to us after trying traditional medicine and not getting better.  Seeing people feeling well and eating well is great motivation.”

“This is a great community to live in,” she adds.  “People look out for each other. It’s worth going the extra mile to find or make something to keep you here.”