DISH: Going Natural

by Nikki M. Mascali
Weekender Editor

GOING NATURAL

When Everything Natural (426 S. State St., Clarks Summit) opened in June of 1985, it was in a class all its own.

“Many people thought of us as fringe or alternative, whereas now, we are considered avant-garde, we were cutting edge, we were ahead of the curve,” owner Barry Kaplan says with a laugh of his store which sells everything from fresh organic produce and environmentally friendly cleaning products to distinctive gifts and natural bath and body products.

“I like to say we used to be ‘health nuts’ — now we’re ‘authorities,’” Kaplan continues. “We didn’t get into it as a get-rich-quick scheme; to us, it was a mission, a lifestyle. We wanted to help other people. Out of that, the business grew. We’re really here trying to provide tools and information for people to live healthier, happier lives.”

With that being said, Everything Natural has a string of events coming up that carries on that mission statement the store was founded on while celebrating October being Non-GMO Month. (GMO stands for genetically modified organisms.)

First up is Clarks Summit’s Second Friday art opening featuring batiks by Judith Youshock Friday, Oct. 14, which opens at 5 p.m., followed by a screening of the 2009 documentary “Vanishing of the Bees” at 6:30 p.m.

The film takes a look at the vanishing bee crisis and how it affects people’s health and the global community. The film is presented by The Lean Berets founder Ron Jones and local member Kevin Rail. Ellen McGlynn, Lackawanna County Coordinator of the Pennsylvania Backyard Beekeepers Association, will also be on hand.

“GMOs and conventional pesticide use is killing bees, causing what’s called colony collapse disorder, and bees, in addition to being what people are going to think of as honey, they’re our pollinators,” Kaplan explains. “Many of our food crops depend upon bees. We will lose the economic viability of orchards of all kinds because can you imagine any fruit grower having to pollinate every flower by hand?”

An organic food sampling, including a tasting of five varieties of apples prepared in different ways will be held Oct. 15 from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. The apples for the event will arrive Wednesday, which will determine how the apples will be prepared, but Kaplan says that there will be slices garnished with organic, fresh-ground almond and peanut butter.

“We may have baked apple, I don’t know if we’ll do apple pie,” he adds. “And apple salad with organic walnuts, so we’ll have some fun, creative ways for people to taste their apples and see what kind of apple works best for different kinds of recipes.”

For more info or the complete schedule of upcoming events at Everything Natural, visit everythingnaturalpa.com or call 570.586.9684.