New Earth Market:
Passion, Purpose and a Healthy Sense of Community
An independent California grocer shows how personal conviction, knowledgeable service and local action can grow together.
“We all have a passion for this industry—our guests and our community as a whole.”— Diana Coggan, Health & Beauty Buyer |
New Earth Market began with a family’s search for better food options and grew into an independent natural-foods destination serving two Northern California communities. Founder Kevin Cotter’s daughter, Jordan, experienced recurring health challenges as a toddler. After her family identified foods that did not agree with her and changed her diet with professional guidance, Kevin began looking more closely at the relationship between food choices and well-being. Finding suitable groceries locally proved difficult—and the idea for New Earth Market was born.
After nearly 30 years in the trucking business, Kevin embraced a new challenge. With support from family, friends and local financing, he opened the flagship Yuba City market in March 2011 with 47 employees. The Chico store followed in April 2016. Today, the company remains proudly independent and locally owned, guided by a mission to offer high-quality, health-conscious products, provide a healthy workplace and help foster the well-being of its communities and environment.
Knowledgeable Service Starts with Listening
That mission comes to life through team members such as Diana Coggan, buyer for the Health & Beauty departments at both locations. Diana began working in natural foods and supplements more than 30 years ago at a small independent store. Although she gained experience in every department, she found her calling in helping customers sort through their options. When the opportunity to join New Earth Market arrived in 2024, she says she “jumped on board.”
Diana now divides her time between Yuba City and Chico, supporting both stores with the curiosity of a self-described “science nerd.” She values products with research behind them and says this is one reason Dr. Ohhira’s® products stand out to her. She was introduced to Dr. Ohhira’s Probiotics® years ago, before probiotics became a major category, and has continued to appreciate the scientific foundation behind the line. She also notes that many New Earth Market shoppers who purchase Dr. Ohhira’s return for it again.
The store’s educational approach begins with a question: Why is the customer interested in adding a probiotic to their routine? Listening first allows the Health & Beauty team to better understand the shopper’s goals and guide them toward an appropriate option. It is a simple, consultative practice that reflects New Earth Market’s larger philosophy—pairing carefully chosen products with knowledgeable, personal service.
A Market That Invests in Its Neighborhoods
New Earth Market’s impact extends well beyond the checkout lane. Through its Nickels for Charity program, customers who reuse grocery bags can direct a wooden nickel to one of four local nonprofit organizations. Since the program began in 2015, shoppers have donated more than $60,000. The markets also donate dry grocery shrink to food banks, support children’s museums with miniature New Earth Market “storefronts,” and have adopted stretches of Highway 20 near Yuba City and Highway 99 near Chico.
Environmental improvements are part of that community commitment. At the Yuba City location, solar panels installed on the roof and parking-lot shade structures supply approximately 93% of the market’s power. Energy-saving upgrades have included doors on refrigerated cases, LED lighting and electric-vehicle charging stations. The site later became a Tesla Supercharger destination.
Inside the stores, shoppers find an experience built around discovery: chef-prepared deli foods, house-made sushi, extensive salad-bar offerings and coffee bars operated in partnership with Tin Roof Bread. The Chico location is also expanding its produce and deli space, with completion anticipated in October 2026.
A Favorite from the Dr. Ohhira’s Family
Diana’s personal favorite is Dr. Ohhira’s Propolis PLUS®. She appreciates its combination of Brazilian green propolis, probiotics, omega-3 fatty acids and astaxanthin in one formula designed to support immune and digestive health.* It is a fitting choice for someone whose approach blends scientific curiosity with a belief in practical, whole-person wellness.
Fourteen years after its first store was named Yuba City’s “Best Place to Take Out-of-Towners,” New Earth Market continues to give residents—and visitors—plenty of reasons to stop in. Its story is a reminder that independent retail is at its best when product knowledge, employee passion and community care share the same aisle.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
