EDWINA Kent decided to open Wray Organic after becoming increasingly frustrated at the lack of organic produce available in Toowoomba.

Wray Organic opened in 2012 and is the only 100% certified organic cafe in our region.

Edwina Kent said the benefits of eating organic certified produce were endless.

"Many cafes attached to an organic store actually do not use organic produce," Mrs Kent said.

"We kept hoping someone would open a store and, in the end, we just ended up doing it ourselves.

"Organic food provides a variety of benefits. Some studies show that organic foods have more beneficial nutrients than their conventionally grown counterparts.

"In addition, people with allergies to foods, chemicals or preservatives often find their symptoms lesson or go when they eat only organic foods," she said.

Mrs Kent noticed that the number of people purchasing organic produce had increased since she opened her store almost three years ago.

Humans have an accumulated build-up of pesticide exposure due to the numerous years of exposure to the chemicals in commercially farmed foods.

Mrs Kent said buying certified organic produce had amazing health benefits.

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Lack of produce sparks cafe opening

OWNERS of Homegrown Health Darrin and Kylie Pateman cannot stress enough the importance of reducing the amount of toxins we expose our bodies to.

The pair has been organic farmers for 10 years.

Homegrown Health started as an online delivery service which delivered boxes of fresh produce to customers' doors.

The business has now expanded to a cafe on Railway Street.

Kylie Pateman said toxins found in commercially farmed produce could contribute to disease and illness.

"Organic food has been grown the old-fashioned way without the use of chemical sprays and pesticides," Mrs Pateman said.

"Our everyday environment exposes us to lots of free radicals so with this in mind it is important to be aware and reduce the amount of toxins we expose our bodies to.

"The chemicals used in commercial farming can be highly toxic and when we eat them we are forcing our body to also process these chemicals in order to obtain nutrients from the produce," she said.

Organic fruit and vegetables contain higher levels of vitamins and minerals and do not have the unwanted toxins found in commercially farmed produce and therefore are better for your body.

Organic farmers feed their crops with natural minerals, compost and fertilizers.

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Couple passionate about organic produce