A Blast form the Past: 2003

We found this article in our files - but can't find who wrote it. Either way it's a flattering article and we're thankful to whomever wrote it! GARTH OWEN STARTED THE ORGANIC GROCERY back in 1992 while in the Surrey Public Market. proudly he says that even though the public market is not in business today, The Organic Grocer is. In fact this month represents his “Lucky 13th Anniversary”! The real excitement is that many of the customers from those beginning days at the other location still shop from him and his staff today. “We have watched their children grow”, he says. “ We know them by name and today, many of them bring in their kids while they shop”. Truth is, each of the staff know the customers by name and it is as if they each have their own clientele. People love to shop from experts they can trust. At the Organic Grocer, the customers have that amount of trust for the individual staff members, as well as the store itself. The Organic Grocery is about to be the first certified organic grocery store in all of Canada, a distinction that they do not take lightly. Each of the staff are educated in what they market to their customers. They are all involved in on going training, home study, and seminars. Garth is on the Board of Directors for the “Canadian Health Food Association”. One concern that the staff share is that consumers need to be more aware of what is going on with the food producing industry. He, therefore, keeps involved and in contact with various organizations and associations within the industry to ask questions like…”How do we insure the future sustainability of food and raw materials in a world of diminishing oil reserves? “We forget how an ear of corn or a cucumber got it here. What if we can’t get or afford the fuel we need, how do we access other markets, and what if we stop growing what we need locally?” For this reason,The Organic Grocery is an avid supporter of such events as the “Feast of Fields” and “Farm Folk/City Folk”.