Organic Earth Market a holistic alternative to the local supermarket

Tracy Nauss, general manager of the Organic Earth Market, is this week’s midweek mugging recipient.

Located at 6487 Quinpool Road, Organic Earth takes a holistic approach to the local supermarket with everything from fresh produce to dairy alternatives, supplements and cosmetics.

“You look on the label and you see those words you can’t pronounce—we don’t have those words,” Nauss said.

As the name suggests, Organic Earth is wholly organic and mostly local, Nauss said. She estimated about 80 per cent of the produce is Nova Scotian.

When deciding whether to carry items such as granola bars or peanut butter, the product must pass an ingredient checklist, Nauss said. If it contains artificial preservatives, it doesn’t make the cut.

“We scan every product to make sure there’s no artificial anything in them, and that they’re a good, healthy, natural product,” Nauss said. “So [customers] can come in and get all of that, and not have to read labels, which is great.”

Nauss said fermented products, such as a local cultured coconut kefir, are in high demand.

“Anything fermented, we have some local kimchi that’s really good, and kombucha, lots of kombucha … we even have it on tap, so people can come in and fill a growler,” she said.

Along with groceries, Organic Earth also has a dedicated vitamin staff and an in-store kitchen offering snacks, smoothies and baked goods.

Nauss said she thinks a shift towards supporting the environment has contributed to the rising popularity of eating organic.

“I think there’s a big zero-waste movement coming, so reducing carbon footprint is really important,” Nauss said. “People don’t want their food travelling miles and miles, they want to know it’s made down the road.”

Nauss has been with the store since it switched over from Planet Organic nine years ago. Organic Earth is owned by Jamie Wentzell.

Nauss said the store attracts a wide range of customers, from the novice healthy eater to the experienced.

“Most of the people coming in for grocery shopping are quite knowledgeable, they know what other products can do and they stay away from them, and that’s a reason they come in, for their clean groceries,” Nauss said. “But some people…just found out they have celiac, or they’re lactose intolerant, and they’re just looking for options.”

For those new to holistic shopping, Nauss said not to hesitate to stop by.

“You’ll always find someone on the floor who’s willing to help you, whether it’s with questions about a recipe or with questions about supplements…if you’ve got any questions, we can get them answered,” she said.