In 1989, Susan Lyon opened Cornucopia in a 700-square-foot storefront on South Seminary Street.
At the time, there were very few choices for organic and vegetarian food in the area – and that’s what she fed her family.
“We had a bulk section and we had four linear feet of supplements. We did organic produce but we had such a tiny space, we couldn’t do very much beyond potatoes and carrots and things like that,” she said.
Susan said in those days, Cornucopia’s customer base was mostly older, health-conscious people. And in terms of plant-based proteins, there was tofu, soybeans – and not much else.
“We also from the very beginning offered options for people with allergies, like gluten-free options,” she said. “But again, those were limited and they didn’t taste good.”
After those early years in the tiny space, Cornucopia would expand to storefronts across the street, adding a bakery that used organic flour, a vegetarian deli, and a variety of international foods.
With that growth came more room for bulk items, plus more freezer and refrigerator space. That was as plant-based food options were expanding beyond tofu, and gluten-free options were also multiplying.
Plus, more people in the community were becoming aware of the health and environmental advantages of organic and vegetarian food.
“I think the population in general has become more aware, certainly over the last 35 years. And also, the farming practices and climate change,” Susan said. “And I think there’s more awareness of people getting ill from the kinds of food we've been eating, like the overly processed foods."
A much larger space
Cornucopia joined the Independent Natural Food Retailers’ Association, banding together with other stores across the country to keep prices low while getting access to new products.
But the store was still too small for a stroller to fit down the aisle.
So Cornucopia took a bold step, according to Hannah Lyon, Susan's daughter and now a part-owner of the business.
The store moved in 2018 to a much larger space at 176 S. Seminary St., across from Galesburg’s Amtrak station. The store now has a total of 4,000 square feet – including 3,000 square feet of sales floor.
“So it was a big move. It was an expensive move. It was kind of a ballsy move. Like, is this going to work? This area was kind of a neglected corner of downtown that was more or less boarded up for the last 10 plus years,” Hannah said.
That corner is no longer neglected. After Cornucopia’s move, other businesses followed – and Cornucopia’s customer base has quadrupled since the move.
In addition to more space and more offerings, there’s the popular Indian buffet every Monday and deli items throughout the week from Chef Renu McKee. There are educational events, plant sales, and a healthy living fair.
Cornucopia is also now selling some locally farmed, sustainable meat and sells a line of natural makeup products as well as eco-friendly cleaning supplies and paper products.
Susan said they’re seeing more younger people in the store now, too.
“We really did not get many young families before, and we do now. And it’s attributable to a lot of things. We’re more visible. It’s easier to shop,” she said. “Hannah would say it probably has to do with being more self-service, instead of having to ask for things. The younger generation doesn’t want to have to ask for things, they just want to be able to pick it up.”
Sustainability and climate change
There’s no food waste at Cornucopia. If there’s a scrap of anything left, it goes to chickens. They only use paper bags and to-go containers, and soups are sold in reusable glass jars.
The store received a USDA Rural Energy for America Program grant – and will be installing solar panels soon. If you choose not to use a bag or bring your own at Cornucopia, you get a token to donate to a local non-profit.
In addition to health benefits, switching to a plant-based diet can reduce a person’s carbon footprint by up to 2.1 tons a year for vegans and 1.5 tons for vegetarians, according to the United Nations. Likewise, organic food has a lower carbon footprint – because the production and transport of synthetic pesticides and herbicides use a lot of energy.
“Part of the CO2 pipeline they were trying to put through our county was coming from the fertilizer factories further out west, because they’re burning a ton of fossil fuels to make these synthetic inputs. So, in organic farming, those are not going to be allowed,” Hannah said.
When it comes to food, buying local isn’t just about supporting a family business. Meal delivery services, the packaging from online shopping, and having two-day delivery of a single item, rather than a truckload – all use a ton of resources.
“I think people are pretty much in denial about their online shopping addictions and the climate impact,” Hannah said.
Local food systems
Organic, however, is not the only answer. To really reduce emissions, Hannah said we need stronger local agricultural systems and more locally produced food.
Even Cornucopia’s organic produce is sometimes trucked in from other states and continents, which affects quality.
“Let’s say all of our strawberries are coming in from California. It’s kind of a lot of days from when they get picked until they’re getting into the consumer’s refrigerator,” she said. “So they’re just not going to be as fresh as if we had robust local food economies. I mean, strawberries grow great here. We could have local strawberry farmers. We just don’t have enough of it right now."
So Cornucopia supports as much local agriculture as they can. That includes Pilot Knob Farm popcorn from Knox County, Wild Growth Gourmet Mushrooms from Mercer County, a variety of produce from Elementary Earthworks micro-farm in Galesburg, and meat from Grateful Graze in Henry County.
Some customers do all of their shopping for the week at Cornucopia. Others are coming for specialty ingredients locally and from Peoria, Macomb, and the Quad Cities. The store is also seeing a growing number of immigrants in the region shop there for bulk spices and other items.
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