A Chatham-Kent vegetable farmer believes the organic market trend in the food business is here to stay.

Joe Grootenboer and his wife Eraina have seen exponential growth since they started the River Bell Market Garden just east of Dresden three years ago.

Joe discussed the story behind their market and his views of organic agriculture Wednesday at the meeting of the Rotary Club of Chatham.

Driven by health-conscious consumers and concerns about the environment, Grootenboer said interest in organic food is growing world-wide.

While noting he doesn't actively promote those aspects, he said they're definitely influencing some of his customers.

Grootenboer's main interest in organic food is concentrated on flavour and quality.

If you're like me and you don't agonize over health, you'll follow your taste buds, he said. That is my kind of consumer.

The Grootenboers didn't set out to be vegetable growers or to reside in Chatham-Kent.

Joe was born and raised in Thunder Bay, and after university, went to Edmonton where he worked as a project manager in construction.

It was there he met his wife Eraina Hooyer, who was from the Dresden-area at Wabash.

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Organic market on the rise, says veggie farmer