National Organic Week starts on Sunday, and more families than ever are opting for a greener approach to their food. KATE THOMPSON met a couple whose food business has really taken off, and a family who eat only organically grown food...

WHEN Fran and Rick Hallam set up their organic vegetable delivery franchise, they never expected it to take off quite so well.

Fran, 47, from Winchester works as a midwife but supports Rick, 47, who runs the business from their home on Badger Farm. In the past he worked as an aircraft fitter but became interested in setting up an organic veg delivery service as his own interest in healthier food blossomed.

He and Fran are so convinced of the benefits of eating organic food, they spent their honeymoon on an organic farm in Ugborough, Devon, learning more about the business.

"Like our customers, we were fed up with not knowing quite what we were eating when we bought food from supermarkets.

"There have been so many food scares, I just don't trust what the authorities tell us about food - that's why I wanted to go organic," said Rick.

All the vegetables that Rick delivers are grown on the Riverford Organic Farm near Buckfastleigh in Devon - the largest independent grower of organic food in the country.

For as little as £7 a week, Rick will deliver fresh veg to your door.

"It's really great, because people get quite excited about their box arriving - I even get children waiting for me to arrive so they can pick through the box and see what they have for that week.

"It's great to think that children are getting interested in vegetables," he said.

WHY WE DECIDED TO GO ORGANIC:

WHEN Lyn Brayshaw and Andy Mackenzie decided to start a family, they made the switch to an organic lifestyle.

The pair, who live in Highfield, Southampton, wanted to be as healthy as possible for the arrival of their chidren.

Four years on, the two teachers say they really do feel the benefits of making the switch.

Andy said: "We decided to switch to organic food about four years ago when we were planning to have children - we wanted to purify our bodies before we had them. Our diet has improved and we don't eat as much junk food - and there will be longer term benefits, too, as we must have reduced our cancer risk."

The couple say they have always been quite "green" and are members of Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth.

"We have never had a car - we cycle and use public transport.

"We have always been reasonably green and going organic was just an extension of that.

"We have all our vegetables delivered now - so we don't go to the supermarket where you can get tempted by other things," said Andy.

He advised anyone seriously considering going organic to have their veg delivered by a scheme like the Riverford Farm service.

For others wanting to make a start with a healthier approach to food, he suggested buying organic in the following items:

milk

apples and carrots

meat

"These are key areas to change if you don't want to go the whole hog," he said.

Rick's Riverford Home Delivery covers Southampton and the waterside for more details call 01962 856663.