Country Life Foods

What Country Life Foods does

Country Life Foods (legal name Country Life Natural Foods) is a wholesale and retail distributor of natural, organic, and shelf-stable vegetarian foods, founded in 1967 by Ronald and Sylvia Crary as the Life Line Health Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and now headquartered at a single warehouse and retail store on a 1200-acre site in Pullman, Michigan. The company sells 1846+ products — including 300+ bulk SKUs spanning grains, beans, nuts, seeds, flours, sweeteners, dried fruits, baking supplies, snacks, and a health-and-beauty line — through an owned DTC e-commerce storefront, iOS and Android mobile apps, a physical retail store, and a wholesale program serving bakeries and small food businesses. The catalog emphasizes non-GMO and organic items, with case-pricing (12% off at 12+ units), bulk-order discounts (10% off over $500 via code BULK), Subscribe & Save on 25lb/50lb items, and free shipping over $99.

The business model blends transactional product sales with a recurring annual membership tier. Country Life Plus members receive 4% cashback (vs 1% for non-members), free shipping on all orders, 100 bonus app points per purchase, free express fulfillment, and exclusive sales; verified veterans are granted a free first-year membership. Distribution is nationwide from the Pullman warehouse, with SNAP/EBT online integration opening federal food-assistance customers, and pricing on individual bulk items ranges from under $10 to over $500 depending on quantity.

In January 2024, Mitchell Hagan, a former healthcare administrator with Adventist hospital systems experience, acquired the company and became CEO and President — the first non-founder ownership transition in its history. Under new ownership the company has launched the mobile apps, the Country Life Plus membership, the SNAP/EBT online channel, the veterans program, and is investing in content infrastructure (275+ blog posts, 150+ recipes, YouTube/Facebook/Instagram, Community Hub portal). Headcount sits in the 11-50 range, no external institutional investors or private equity backing are disclosed, and financial figures are not publicly available.

Name

Country Life Foods

Legal name

Country Life Natural Foods

Website

https://countrylifefoods.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Country Life Foods is a Michigan-based wholesale and DTC retailer of natural, organic, and bulk vegetarian pantry staples, serving health-conscious families, SNAP/EBT recipients, veterans, and small bakeries across the United States through e-commerce, mobile apps, retail, and wholesale channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Natural and Organic Foods Distribution

NAICS

Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529), All Other Specialty Food Retailers (445298), Food (Health) Supplement Retailers (456191)

SIC

Retail-Grocery Stores (5411), Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141), Retail-Food Stores (5400)

akta.pro primary industry

Natural/Organic Bulk & Supplement Grocers (CRAHAMAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Online Specialty Grocery (Organic/Health/Ethnic/Gourmet) (CRAHAIAE), Online Bulk & Pantry Staples Retail (CRAHAIAG), Shelf-Stable Pantry Staples (Grains, Pasta, Rice, Beans, Canned Foods) (CRADAAAA), Health Food & Supplement Stores (CRAHAEAC)

Keywords

• Bulk natural foods
• Organic pantry staples
• Natural food retail
• Online grocery delivery
• Wholesale baking ingredients

Headquarters

HQ city

Pullman

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Direct Product Sales: Sale of bulk natural and organic foods including grains, beans, nuts, seeds, dried fruits, flours, and health/beauty products through e-commerce and retail channels. Products are sold in bulk quantities with lower per-unit pricing for larger orders.
2. Country Life Plus Membership: Subscription membership program offering 4% cashback (vs 1% for non-members), free shipping on all orders, 100 bonus points when shopping in app, and exclusive sales and discounts.
3. Wholesale/Bulk Commercial Sales: Case pricing (12% off for 12+ units) and bulk order discounts for commercial customers, including bakeries and food businesses purchasing wholesale baking supplies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Country Life Foods sells natural, non-GMO, and mostly certified-organic shelf-stable pantry staples directly to consumers via its e-commerce site, iOS/Android mobile apps, and a physical store in Pullman, Michigan. The catalog spans roughly 300+ bulk SKUs (grains, beans, lentils, seeds, flours, oats, granola, dried fruits, nuts, sweeteners), plus baking supplies, snacks, beverages, and a curated health-and-beauty assortment, with a Country Life Plus membership and veteran, SNAP/EBT, and wholesale buyer programs layered on top.

Product overview

Country Life Natural Foods operates as an e-commerce platform and brick-and-mortar retailer specializing in bulk natural and organic pantry staples. The company offers a single unified product platform combining online retail, mobile shopping, and a physical retail store in Pullman, Michigan. The core offering includes Bulk Foods (300+ varieties of grains, beans, seeds, flours, oats, and granola), Baking & Cooking supplies, Nuts & Seeds, Dried Fruit, Snacks/Sweets/Drinks, and Health & Beauty products. Premium membership is delivered through Country Life Plus, which provides free shipping and cashback rewards. The company also offers curated bundles like the FMF Starter Kit for home flour milling, and features private-label products under the Country Life brand including Bean Soup Mix and Easy Instant Meals. The business model combines e-commerce with nationwide shipping and a physical retail presence.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bulk Foods

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Heartway FarmsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustainable farming partnership where Heartway Farms supplies produce grown using sustainable farming methods. Josh & Annie at Heartway Farms publicly endorse Country Life for their commitment to working with small family farmers who use sustainable practices.
• Annette Reeder (The Biblical Nutritionist)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerWellness influencer and nutrition educator who recommends Country Life Natural Foods to her ministry followers. She promotes the company based on alignment with her core values, product quality, and availability of natural products with free shipping.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Emerging players

• Bulk Apothecary: Online retailer of bulk ingredients including herbs, spices, and pantry staples with both D2C and wholesale channels. Comparable mix of bulk-food retail and B2B commercial supply.
• Bob's Red Mill: Specialty manufacturer and retailer of whole-grain flours, baking ingredients, and pantry staples. Partial overlap on the baking/cooking assortment with similar natural-foods brand heritage.

Direct peers

• Mountain Rose Herbs: Online retailer specializing in bulk organic herbs, spices, teas, and natural ingredients. Comparable catalog (organic, bulk, certified-organic SKU mix) and similar mission-driven positioning.
• Azure Standard: Co-op-style bulk natural foods distributor shipping nationwide. Direct competitor in the bulk pantry staples category, with a similar multi-channel approach (drop-ship + retail), making it the closest comparable.
• Vitacost: Online retailer of natural, organic, and health products including supplements and pantry items. Direct comparator in online natural-foods retail with broader health/beauty SKU coverage.
• Nuts.com: Online specialty retailer of nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and pantry staples. Direct overlap in nuts/seeds/dried fruit category with similar bulk-size offering and nationwide shipping.
• Thrive Market: Online membership-based retailer of natural and organic groceries including bulk staples. Directly comparable D2C model with a recurring membership mechanic, though at meaningfully larger scale and with private-label depth.
• Frontier Co-op: Wholesale and retail supplier of organic herbs, spices, and bulk natural ingredients. Comparable bulk-ingredient assortment and dual retail/wholesale model, though B2B-leaning.

Broad incumbents

• Sprouts Farmers Market: Specialty grocer focused on natural and organic products with a strong bulk foods section. Overlaps in health-conscious shopper demographic and bulk pantry assortment, but operates physical stores at scale.
• Whole Foods Market: Amazon-owned national natural and organic grocery chain with bulk bins and 365 private label. Competes for the same health-conscious customer across both in-store and online channels, with vastly larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@countrylifefoods
• Facebookfacebook.com/countrylifenaturalfoods
• Instagraminstagram.com/countrylifefoods

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Country Life Foods