Corners of the Mouth
by Anna Rathbun
Corners of the Mouth natural food store has been serving the coast since 1976. Located in the village of Mendocino, Corners is housed in a 19th century former Baptist church. In between ancient stained glass windows, a vaulted ceiling, and a choir loft, the store is brimming with fresh local produce, bulk herbs, and organic groceries.
Corners of the Mouth was established as a worker-owned collective. Each worker is a member, and business decisions are made in a bi-monthly meeting of all collective members. If the store is closing at 7pm instead of 8pm, that’s because we are preparing to sit in a circle and talk through business decisions in a collective meeting. There are no bosses, but there is a rotating council of five to seven long-term collective members who make the day-to-day business decisions. This business structure can result in a longer decision-making process, but it also creates great freedom and inspiration in the work environment.
Corners is a “not for profit,” which means that any profits realized are invested back into the business, divided among employees, or donated back to the community. Corners’ profits will never make one person wealthy, but will benefit each collective member and the community. Corners supports the community with gift certificates and raffle items for every good cause: the hardworking firefighters, school fundraisers, or a fundraising dinner for a local sick resident.
Produce is the pride of Corners, featuring local farms as often as possible. You will find fluffy red butter lettuce as big as your head from LR Farm in Albion and crunchy, sweet onions from Root Down Farm on Navarro Ridge. During apple season, The Apple Farm in Philo brings in a dozen heirloom varieties of apples, from big red Spitzenberg to tiny red Wickson and the soft sweet Philo Gold. As Christmas approaches, look for fresh crop walnuts from Pardini Ranch in Anderson Valley and Fuyu persimmons from Albion. “It has a beautiful vegetable selection. Everything is really local and fresh. It’s a thoughtful store,“ says Heidi, a regular customer, as she checks out the local chestnuts.
Corners has over 250 bulk herbs and spices to choose from. Bring your own container or buy a pretty glass jar to get just the right amount of the freshest herbs and spices. Locally, you will find a selection of SB’s home grown herbs from Flynn Hills Opening in Anderson Valley and wild harvested sage bundles from the Santa Barbara mountains.
Organic heirloom dried beans grown in California, frozen treats, raw vegan organic chocolate, and everything else under the sun is crammed into this tiny building. You will find Singing Dog Vanilla, which comes from a profit-sharing company in Pennsylvania. Corners supports Hummingbird Wholesale in Eugene, Oregon, which delivers local dried beans, grains, nuts, and granola by bike. Mendocino is a bit far, so Corners doesn’t qualify for bike service or they’d be all over it!
Customers of all ages appreciate the wide variety of healthy foods, spices, and beverages available. “I like upstairs (in the choir loft) where we get tea. I see my friends here sometimes,” says Corners of the Mouth shopper River, age six. “And when you grew up here, every other natural food store in the world is measured against it,” chimes in Fern, River’s mom, as she dashes up the stairs to grab some bulk herbs.
With this wealth of good food, herbs, and supplements, Corners also provides wellness consultants to help you decide what to buy. Monday through Friday from 3-5pm, Corners offers consulting with a Master Herbalist, Registered Dietitian, or Nutrition Consultant. Ask for a personalized tea blend to match your health needs, ask how to make a healing soup, or let Corners consultants help you choose the right multivitamin for you personally.
“The Corners of the Mouth—Perseverance brings good fortune. Pay heed to the providing of nourishment and to what a man seeks to fill his mouth with.”
The name, Corners of the Mouth, comes from the 27th lesson in the ancient Chinese book of lessons called the I Ching, and the lesson is to pay attention to what we put into our mouths. Whether you’re a history buff, a foodie, an herbalist, or just visiting Mendocino for the day, you have to eat. Stop in and see the wonders at Corners of the Mouth, a 125-year-old former Baptist Church overflowing with local, organic, sustainable foods.
Corners of the Mouth | 45015 Ukiah St, Mendocino
Open daily 8am–8pm | cornersofthemouth.com | (707) 937-5345
Anna Rathbun is a nutrition consultant specializing in digestive and autoimmune food therapy out of her office in Mendocino Village. Learn more about what she offers at foodtherapy.us.
