The Country Seed

This is the nicest health food store I have ever shopped in!!
The owner, Carrie, has achieved in creating a fully stocked health food
store, while maintaining a relaxed and "home like" atmosphere. I found everything I was looking for, suppliments as well as a full line of baking items. Also flours that I had previously only found on line. It was wonderful to find out that I could just run into the store when I was out of something! She also carrys a nice array of fresh fruits, vegetables, and a nice selection of farm raised beef. Also for the Thanksgiving I purchased a very nice, affordable, Turkey, not loaded with all the chemicals!!
Very tastey!! Milk and eggs as well. A full line of spices by the ounce too.
It was a special surprise to find a full line of totally unique gift items as well. From Watches to stuffed toys, real antler lamps to hand made scarves, salt lamps to dishes too many things to even remember !!!
The staff and owner were very helpful and friendly, and even looked up some answers to questions I had on their in store computer. I was told that they could order most items if I had special requests, and they would arrive in a week or often in just days. Every time I go back to this store they have new items, and I find their prices to be very competitive and fair. I do not know what the previous posters problem was, but I did not find the things they posted to be true, in fact the total opposite.
I would guess the poster was simply having a bad day.
As far as a place to shop with children, I think that if you take small children into any specialty store that they should be controled and watched. This is not a "toys are us" after all.
If you want a wonderful, fun and satisfying experience I would highly reccomend stopping in and seeing Carrie at the County Seed.

Check Expiration Dates on ALL Food Products: "The Country Seed" in Rhinelander, Wisconsin is an excellent place to find interesting odds and ends craft items and unusual gift ideas. If I were to rate this establishment as a country gift store I would be compelled to give it five stars. However, as an alternative food and health store this establishment is one of the absolute worst I have ever been to!

While the overall selection of products was fairly good, the overwhelming majority of the "on sale" stock was expired by anywhere from a week up to nearly a year. This was also true for some of the regularly priced food merchandise. Moreover, while the sales staff seemed friendly and knowledgable, the store's proprietor appeared to be abrupt, rude, and disorganized when another customer inquired about some expired soy margarine in the refridgerator.

The overall layout of the store is also neither handicapped friendly nor well suited for shoppers with young children. There are flimsey glass shelves, no wheelchair ramps (in or out of the building), a dangerously narrow aisle in the bath products section, exposed wires from decorative lighting, and clutter with little rhyme or reason. In addition to the general feelling of clutter and disorganization, the store's limited refridgerator space is so over packed that it is difficult to see as well as reach desired products.

Those individuals with allergies should also be advised to limit their visits. The aroma of incense (which to some is pleasant) is overpowering and the glass shelving units were, at the time of my last visit, covered with dust.

With regard to customer service, the sales staff I encountered was both curtious and helpful. Management on the other hand, I have found to be lax and unreliable. Special orders are often delayed and/or "forgotten", and the customer is left without a definate expectation of lead-time. I also discovered the public restroom to be poorly ventilated and lacked the neccessary paper products.

In closing while I would recommend this store to someone looking for a quick, fun, and unusual gift option, I would suggest that those looking to fill their pantries look elsewhere. For those who do make use of "The Country Seed's" food products, make sure to check expiration dates and keep a VERY close eye on young children.

Comments (1)

secondnotice2 - 11/21/07
Everytime I go to the Country Seed, Which is often. I have a most amazing time finding all the health products that I am looking for and if they dont have it at the moment they are happy to try and get it in the store as soon as they can.......Who ever wrote the comment in Aug. must be confussing the country seed with some other health food store because everyone who works there has always been great with me and my family. They'er a wonderful asset to the Rhinelander area.

We're glad there is Country Seed: Every summer we go up to Rhinelander for family vacation. Many in our family unfortunately suffer from celiac or gluten intolerance. The Country Seed allows us to cook the dinners and enjoy the snacks we are accustomed to at home.

A welcome surprise, when usually the only option in small towns are big box grocery stores.