BELLOWS FALLS, Vt. – Located in the former historic Fletcher’s Store space next door to the Bellows Falls Opera House on The Square, The Common Sense Store recently opened its doors in mid-December and offers fresh, organic produce and beauty products which they create, along with products from other local sources as well.
The opening of the store had been delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic, according to store manager, Daraq Racine, who is also a spokesperson for the Twelve Tribes religious groups. “We have wanted to open a store in town for several years so we could sell our locally produced specialty products, and when this opportunity arose [in early 2020] we jumped on it. But when the pandemic hit and the Town Offices were closed for a while, it delayed the completion of our lease.
“We who run the Common Sense Store, also run the Basin Farm in Westminster as well as Common Sense Soap, which are the two main entities of the Common Sense Store. We also run Commonwealth Construction and Millwork in North Walpole, New Hampshire, which did all the construction work to get the space ready.”
The new store offers their popular organic salad mix, which includes lettuce grown during the winter months in their greenhouse. They also offer other farm-grown vegetables including beets, carrots, sweet potatoes, onions, and garlic.
“Currently we offer a selection of organic produce from Basin Farm, as well as some other locally sourced produce. We also offer a substantial display of some 50 different personal care products that we make, and we also offer freshly baked muffins and banana bread, freshly brewed coffee, tea, Yerba Mate [a caffeinated drink from South America], local dairy and ice cream, snacks, bulk grains, as well as organic spelt flour.”
The Common Sense Store’s personal care and beauty products, including shampoos and conditioners, triple-milled natural soaps, hand creams, moisturizers, and tooth paste, are all produced at their shop in North Walpole. They also offer many other fine local products including maple syrup from Hidden Valley Springs in Putney, milk and dairy products from Miller Farm in Vernon, and honey from Hall Apiaries in Plainfield, N.H.
“Most of the products we offer are items and goods that we make in-house from start to finish, and we have created a warm and welcoming environment in which people can feel free to sit and relax for a while at our tables and enjoy some coffee or tea, and our free Wifi.”
The Common Sense Store is open Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Wednesday from 10 a.m. – 9:30 p.m., Friday from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., and Sunday from 12 – 8 p.m. The store is closed Saturdays. For more information visit www.commonsensesoap.com.