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CentWest Organics proprietor Elaina Wilesmith with the Organic Seasonal Boxes.:
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ELAINA WILESMITH and her brother Darren are busy planting the seeds for their new online organic delivery service.
CentWest Organics offers customers throughout Wagga and the Riverina a long list of certified organic products, including fruit, vegetables, breads, cereals, milk, yoghurt and eggs, which can be delivered right to their front door.
Organic foods and healthy eating trends are making headlines everywhere, from supermarkets and retailers, to a rise in farmers’ markets and emerging boutique brands.
For most of us out here in the bush, shopping organic once meant hopping in the car and taking a trip to the monthly farmers markets or driving out to one of the organic farms in the region.
But now, through CentWest Organics, this can be done online.
By logging on to the website, Wagga residents can peruse an array of fresh, organic produce and have it delivered in just a couple of days.
The site is comprehensive and simple to browse.
The ordering process is very straightforward, allowing customers to search through the extensive range of products from organic cheese, pasta, oils and salad dressings to confectionary, health bars, chips and biscuits and have them delivered with just the click of a mouse.
And, most importantly, all of the products are sanctioned by leading industry body, Australian Certified Organics.
“To deliver certified organic produce to our customers, we only source our produce from growers and farmers who hold a current and valid certification from one of the major organic certifiers,” Darren said.
Elaina and Darren created the business, based out of an office in Bathurst, last year due to an increasing demand for organic produce in the region.
The pair say they are passionate about living the organic lifestyle and believe that many people in the Riverina share this same passion.
“Unlike Sydney and other metropolitan areas, finding certified organic produce around this region used to be a very difficult task,” Darren said.
“Elaina and I have been in the food industry for more than ten years, and we were really keen to bring certified organic produce to regional New South Wales so that’s why we started the business.
“We had the vision to bring the best, the freshest and the highest quality certified produce to as many households in the Riverina, the Central West and beyond as we possibly can.
“So that’s what we’ve done, and so far, the business has really taken off.”
The Australian organic food industry is booming; in fact it is currently worth around $250 million per year. Maybe this is because organic food is more nutritious – it is free of pesticides and herbicides, and it is produced without genetically modified (GM) ingredients, growth regulators, antibiotics and hormones. Or maybe it’s because the production of organic food is far better for the environment – it promotes proper
land-management practices, natural farming cycles and the conservation of energy, soil and water.
Not surprisingly, organic products are more expensive but according to Elaina, they are far better for us and therefore, worth the cost.
“You get what you pay for. Organic food is better for us, it minimises the use of food additives and prohibits all artificial flavours, colours and sweeteners,” she said.
“Certain common food ingredients suspected of being harmful are also prohibited, including msg, aspartame, hydrogenated fats, phosphoric acid and sulphur dioxide.
“And, organic farming is good for the environment. Farmers aim at all times toward economic and environmental sustainability, balancing their needs with those of wildlife and the environment.”
Customer Kirsty Pockley from Young has been ordering bread, cereal, fruit and vegetables from CentWest for almost three months.
The wife and mother came across the business when she picked up a brochure in a local cafe.
“It was quite amazing when I found it because I’d actually been searching on the internet for some time trying to find an organic service who delivered in this area,” Kirsty said.
“I couldn’t find anywhere so I eventually gave up looking. I just thought to myself that I’m going to have to put up with ‘normal food’.
“The produce at CentWest is great, it easily lasts two or three weeks in the fridge, and it’s a fantastic convenience for us – we don’t have to leave the house.”
Jenny Powell from Riverina Natural Therapies in Wagga is so impressed with the business that she has started referring some of her clients.
“The best thing for me is the service. After I ring with my order, it’s delivered within a couple of days and Darren and Elaina call me straight away to make sure I’m happy with the order.” CentWest Organics – products at a glance - Fruit and vegetables
- Yoghurt and milk
- Bread, cereal and pasta
- Eggs
- Dried fruit and nuts
- Baby food
- Cheese
- Tea and coffee
- Confectionary
- Chips and biscuits
Organic Seasonal Boxes – - Classic Box $35: This the most popular order and is filled with a healthy balance of organic fruit and vegetables. This is ideal for couples and small families.
- Feast Box $60: A seasonal mix of fruit and vegetables and includes organic bread and free-range pasture fed organic eggs.
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