Elizabeth City Has a Growing Interest in Organic Foods
business, elizabeth city, food, john aydlett, north carolina, organic produce, soho organic market,
Like so many Americans today, eastern North Carolina residents are health conscious and increasingly aware of their diets.
In the Elizabeth City area, this trend can be seen in the grocery store aisles, where organic produce and other healthy products are prominently displayed.
“Organic produce is being marketed nationally on a very large scale,” says John Aydlett, a marketing specialist for the North Carolina Department of Agriculture. “Here in our area, we are noticing a local increase in interest. … Agriculture drives our local economy, and I think it makes sense that interest in organic food is growing here, both among consumers and growers.”
There are roughly 74,000 acres of soybeans, 34,000 acres of corn and 25,000 acres of wheat planted yearly in Pasquotank and Camden counties, and the 8,000 acres of potatoes grown here make the county the largest producer in the state.
John and Audra Marx own Soho Organic Market at the corner of Road Street and Colonial Avenue. The store, which specializes in organic products, is housed in the historic Southern Hotel, built in 1927.
The couple banked on the future growth of the area by opening the grocery store in 2005 and have watched it grow steadily since. The Marxes also own Muddy Waters Coffeehouse across the street from their store.
“People in the coffeehouse were always saying, ‘Someone should open an organic grocery here,’ so we did,” says John Marx, laughing. “And we have stocked the store based on customer input. We specialize in grocery and health food, beauty aids, supplements and homeopathic products. We certainly fill a need for people with food allergies and special-needs diets.”
The store owners say the business is growing steadily.
“We see new customers every day,” John Marx says. “We sell organic produce like greens, potatoes, onions, corn, squash, heirloom tomatoes, and local blueberries, apples and other fruit, along with some organic-fed meats.”
Shoppers also find organic products at Nature’s Organic Bounty store, opened in early 2007 by George and Mary Simons, in the Ken-Nix Plaza on Highway 17 South. Shoppers at Nature’s Organic Bounty can pick up organic fruits and vegetables, healthy snacks and environmentally friendly household products. Customers may also shop online at www.naturesorganicbounty.net.
Tommy Fleetwood of the Department of Agriculture says he is watching yet another trend emerge: a desire to eat local. Consumers are on the lookout for locally grown produce, locally raised meats and other food items, which not only results in fresher food on the table but also minimizes transportation and other costs of preparing food for long-distance distribution.
“I think there’s more of a push for people to seek out local produce,” Fleetwood says. “And organically grown food is climbing up the scale of the grocery chain, so more growers here will get into it eventually.”
One local grower who is already a true believer is Richard Parker of Parker Farms. Four hundred of the 2,600 acres he, wife Laura and son Joseph farm are certified organic, yielding a broad range of produce. The Parkers are aiming to add 25 acres a year. For Parker Farms, the organic market is the market of the future.
“The conventional produce market is crowded with growers doing the same thing from farm to farm, and that keeps everything depressed,” says Parker. “The organic market is the one with growth opportunity. People are becoming more health conscious and aware of the chemicals and things that are put into our food chain – from things in the feed for cattle and poultry to the things we use on our crops.”
Parker Farms sells organic produce to Whole Foods stores, Organic Valley and Wal-Mart primarily. He even appears in a promotional video that is shown by Whole Foods.
“I sell quite a bit to the Whole Foods store in Raleigh. … I have a former pastor living there who was shocked to see me on screen in that store,” he says, laughing.
“They even have baseball cards for kids to collect that have pictures of local farmers who produce organic. I think the trend of demand for locally grown produce and farmer-friendly stores will continue to grow.”
Consumers and grocers expect the same.
“It’s an optimistic market,” says Soho’s Marx. “It’s a service for the community, and I think a valuable part of the community. I see the support for it more every day, and we appreciate it.”
Story by Warren Denney
Photo by Ian Curcio
