Yesterday on the way home from work I stopped by Raisin Rack, which is a natural/organnic food place, to pick up a couple supplements and a few other random things.

As I was there, I was thinking about supporting small, quasi-local (they’re based in Canton, I’m in Columbus) stores versus supporting the bigger chains who are bothering to stock a good selection of organics/naturals now.

It’s sort of an interesting conundrum. One the one hand, if it weren’t for places like Raisin Rack, a couple of years ago I wouldn’t have had relatively nearby place to get the supplements I take to manage my Crohn’s Disease or most of a number of other organic versions of stuff I like. On the other hand, I think it’s important that the larger chains carry the stuff so that other people know it’s out there and maybe eat a bit healthier. Plus, in my case at least, the big chain stores are much nearer to me than Raisin Rack is.

Now, as it turns out, most of the foodstuffs I can get at the chains; while nearly all the supplements, at least if I want to get high quality, I still can only get at RR (and about half the time when I go I’ll pick a few food items). So, I sort of naturally end up supporting both without having really resolved the question in any absolute sense.

For what it’s worth, I’ve tried some of the brands of supplements at the chains and they are not as good, or so my body tells me.