Welcome to Kangaroo Island Organics!

The origins of this thriving business on Kangaroo Island was owed to Joylene Woodrow who managed to take her home garden, supplemented with an Adelaide Organic Wholesaler, from a two-day-a-week market at the local ROAB Hall to the current Murray Street Premises.

July 2017 saw a change in ownership to Helena Granger who brings with her a wealth of knowledge from her varied background Generational farming, a Veterinary Nurse, Community Youth Support Officer, a mother of five with 6 Grandies, who decided to spend five years travelling as a ‘Grey Nomad’ working the Harvest trail throughout Southern Areas of Australia- the climate being the main factor!

It was a fortuitous glance at an Ad on Gumtree when working as a Bio-Security Officer at the Border of SA/WA Eucla, that brought Helena back to Kangaroo Island after a visit in November 2016, to settle into her new Home and Business here.

I wish to continue to provide access to local produce, to which I owe thanks to our local ‘green thumbs’ for, it is a significant and valued part in the range of produce we are able to offer and a pleasure to make contact with growers seasonally. Please feel free to pop in with any excess grown produce which is Chemical spray-free and grown along the organic principles.

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Helena what are your beliefs about organic and bio-dynamics? What is your background?

As a farming wife, I observed the land degradation due to the practices that were required to make a living, at the mercy of so many economic climate changes; the lifting of the wool floor price, to the chemical pressure to preform to meet market needs, to social animal practices, to Banks and Political Economics of the day! Farmers are price takers not price setters for their huge efforts, whether it is Commercial or Organic…it is away of life and I’ll take my hat off to them.

Whilst providing for the table with Home grown Vegetables (I had a exclusion barrier about the home paddock) 20 acres of spray chemical free. I undertook a course in Permaculture for setting out the desired parameters, I quickly realised the principles of composting, wind control and water minimization were the key factors. I also rationalized for work-life balance as with a growing family time was precious; I only grew what was hardy to our environment, mulched with left over cattle hay and bought from the local Farmer’s market store. Growing a family put me through the hoops to find and maintain health, to succeed in the everyday things. Two preemie babies, school viruses, school learning difficulties, sports injuries, lumbago, mental health issues, asthma, menopause…did I succeed. A lot of research led me to believe that Genetics-DNA plays a important roll in the combat for the balance, this also means diet related matters; Genetic Modifications to chemical residues.

Whilst watching the farming community contracting diseases and associated aliments I spent a lot of time reading ways to improve at minimal outlay. My conclusions always came back to the soil nutrient; for everything to be in harmony, to produce vitamins and minerals needed for survival. Hence the birth of the pharmaceutical and alternative medicines some based on trails some based on folklore, for me I kept joining the dots – treat the symptoms or cure the cause; the challenge still continues.

“For me, the shop represents my proactive view on life; its not about being better than, someone else – it’s about being better then you use to be, and becoming who you are! We all travel a journey; my place is in supporting your own belief system – because we are ultimately responsible for our own outcomes. I’m not a purist BUT I do believe it is human basic right to eat and drink chemical free foods and support MOTHER EARTH in the recovery – recycling, compositing, plastic free.”

What do you hope to achieve or provide for Kangaroo Island residents?

Having grown up in several general stores I jumped at the chance of buying this business; as I’ve reached the milestone of wanting to be self employed in what I call a ‘lifestyle job.’ I like people, I like work, I like gardening, I like peace and quiet, I like how I feel at the end of the day. My 5 yr plan is to build the business that allows for a future Manager who can develop a vested interest in the shop and my growing patch, this is to cut back on transport/footprint of fresh fruit and vegetables and delivering on clean and green!

Why is this important to you?

I want to support the individual right to seek the best they can afford to maintain optimum health, as your wealth in life is measured by your health.

 For me the joy of living is in serving the greater good.