48 Years on Main Street
A Blairstown tradition, now beginning its next chapter.
The Nature's Harvest Story
In April 1977, Beverly and Michael Cook opened a natural food store at 28 Main Street in Blairstown. This was years before "organic" was a grocery store aisle and "eat clean" was a hashtag. Natural food stores were rare. The Cooks believed Blairstown deserved one.
The space they chose had history of its own — it had been home to Branigan's Pharmacy, which first opened in 1876. Beverly remembers finding remnants of the pharmacy's medicinal herbs still sitting on the shelves.
Running a small business with a young family wasn't easy. Beverly had three children at the time, including an eight-month-old daughter she'd bring to the store during long days that stretched, some nights, until 7 PM.
After two and a half years, the Cooks sold the store to Lee and Gretchen Parrish, who ran it for nine years before passing it to Michelle St. Andre in 1988.
Michelle would become the longest-tenured owner in the store's history — 26 years. Under her care, the store expanded into its current space. She made lifelong friends with customers, hired staff who became like family, and even met her husband when he walked in one day with a list of supplements his mother had sent him to buy.
"It really worked out beautifully for my life," Michelle says.
Neil and Hema Persad took over in 2014 and guided Nature's Harvest through another decade of service to the community.
A New Chapter
In December 2025, Michael Ashkenazi and Diane Devine became the newest owners of Nature's Harvest.
Michael & Diane
Diane's connection to Blairstown goes back generations. Her grandparents owned a 321-acre dairy farm here, and her childhood visits showed her a small town she never forgot — a bakery, a candy store, a five-and-dime on Main Street. After 17 years on Wall Street and 25 years in hospitality, the pull of Blairstown eventually brought her home.
Michael spent nearly 50 years running his own engineering company. A quiet retirement was never going to suit him.
When they learned Nature's Harvest was about to close, they saw more than a business opportunity. They saw a chance to keep something special alive on Main Street.
"I think what's important is being able to develop a relationship with your customers. That's something you can't get online."
— Michelle St. Andre
Michael and Diane agree. Their plans include tastings of olive oils and local baked goods, visits from nutritionists, and community events. But first, they want to listen.
"We want to hear your ideas. Tell us what you'd find valuable. This is your store too."
What We Believe
We're selective about what we carry.
Everything on our shelves meets our standards for natural, healthy, whole-food living.
Community comes first.
We're not a big-box store. We're your neighbors, and we plan to stick around.
Questions are welcome.
Not sure what you need? Ask. That's what we're here for.
Small towns deserve good options.
You shouldn't have to drive 30 minutes for quality natural foods.
Come Visit Us
We're located at 28 Main Street in Blairstown. Stop by and say hello — we'd love to meet you and show you around the store.
Get Directions & Hours