The best places to buy organic

Organic agriculture is a holistic style of farming where the health of the soil and environment is prioritised, including the surrounding flora and fauna.

Element’s picks for the best places to buy organic and biodynamic food in Auckland.

Ceres Organics

The home of Ceres Organics, Ceres Wholefoods store at 181 Ladies Mile began trading in 1984, becoming New Zealand's first organic store. Fresh produce, grocery items, skincare and household goods sit alongside bulk bins with a large range of fresh nuts, seeds, grains and pulses (non heat treated). It's the real deal.
The grocery section at the back of Ponsonby Central is also a Ceres store, and it's hard to imagine a finer shopping environment or a better selection of locally grown fresh organic produce. Also check out the fresh juice and smoothie bar.

Wise Cicada

Wise Cicada's own description of a "community business providing a destination for conscious spending with informed choice - under one eco-friendly roof" is apt one. Add to your visit one of the incredible salads or meals from the in-store cafe and you'll feel good for the rest of the day, perhaps even the week.
Worth a mention, too is the incredible range of personal care products, from herbal remedies to skincare.
Wisecicada.co.nz

Harvest Wholefoods

A veritable Grey Lynn institution, Harvest Wholefoods (405 Richmond Road) comes under the umbrella of Huckleberry Farms, with three other associated stores in Royal Oak (6 Campbell Road), Mt Eden (2E Esplanade Road) and Glen Innes (150 Apirana Ave).
Harvest is large, and customers won't need to go elsewhere afterwards to finish the weekly shopping.

The staff are friendly and knowledgeable and love to chat about organic or ethical alternatives to normal household items or foodstuffs.
If you're hungry, try the cracking selection of vege pies, breads and salads, made fresh each day.
Huckleberry.nz

East West Organics

Serving West Auckland, East West Organics is beacon of goodness in the industrial estate of Portage Road in New Lynn.

An amazing in-house bakery, cafe, health clinic, supermarket and crafts gallery has customers spending hours in store, an experience as good for the soul as it is for the body.

East West also runs a load of seminars and workshops.
Eastwestorganics.co.nz

Commonsense Organics

Expanding from its five-store Wellington base, Commonsense Organics has opened a store at 284 Dominion Road in Mt Eden.

With it comes a hard-earned knowledge of the sector, and great, knowledgeable staff.
It all started when Jim Kebbell and Marion Wood bought into 4.8 hectares of land in Te Horo, one hour's drive north of Wellington, in 1975. They called it Common Property and grew organically right from the beginning and in 1991 they opened their first store. Now we can enjoy that legacy in Auckland.
Commonsenseorganics.co.nz

Naturally Organic

Naturally Organic began in Auckland in 1998, offering organic fruit and vegetable baskets to one local outlet. They're now a fully operational retail and online store, where service is as much of a priority as produce. They offer a same day delivery service for online orders, and will even take groceries to your car when you shop in-store.

Naturally Organic now has two stores - the convenience store at 215 Rosedale Road, Albany, and the 'Mega Lifestyle Store and Cafe Bar' just up the road at 100 Don McKinnon Drive.
Naturallyorganic.co.nz

Remuera New World

Under the infectious enthusiasm of its owner Adrian Barkla, Remuera New World (Clonbern Road, Remuera) has gone from a bog-standard supermarket to an organic oasis. Barkla buys direct from organic growers (locally where possible) and now sells more organic fresh produce than anyone in the country. Through this combination he manages to keep the usual premium on organic produce to a minimum.
Newworld.co.nz/remuera

Why go organic?

Organic agriculture is a holistic style of farming where the health of the soil and environment is prioritised, including the surrounding flora and fauna. Farmers provide positive care for the environment by focussing on the long-term health of their land, waterways, soil and livestock rather than the short term gain. They use innovative and modern farming techniques to control pest and disease.
Organic production means to produce products that are made without genetic modification, the use of synthetic pesticides or herbicides and animals have been treated fairly.
Source: BioGro

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