The inspiring story of an organic food entrepreneur is what got the crowd pumping for more at the latest TEDX Melbourne event. With a desire to feed people the best food-Nicci Gafen founder of retailer Miss Organic is a strong contestant for Melbourne’s number one organic retailer. Even though it is hard to imagine this success was first sparked by Nicci’s sick dog Rocky. Nicci says she found out about organic food in a mission to save Rocky’s life from cancer.
“My parents took Rocky to the vet and gave him routine treatments -chemo all sorts of things as a result he lost a lot of weight and energy,” she says.
“The vet said he has got six months-we looked at animals in their natural environment and they don’t get sick or develop these conditions that they do once you feed them processed food and put them in a un natural environment,”
“We changed his diet to organic vegetables and raw meat and he was healed, it was looked upon as a miracle and something clicked in my family’s mind about organic food and taking out processed food in our diet.”
It was not until taking a break at a health retreat that Nicci decided to change her entire lifestyle and look at food differently.
“I realised that our health is our own responsibility that you can give your body to some one to take care of it for you but at the end of the day it is up to us to make the change and set an example for others,”
“Ever since then I stopped being sick-I was not always healthy, I spent a lot of time at the doctors taking medication every month I was on antibiotics and had numerous operations.”
Further inspired Nicci went back home and emptied out her parents fridge and cupboards even though her family thought she was crazy.
“I said you are not allowed anything that has a processed ingredient. I felt so good all I wanted to do was share it,” she says
“For me feeling alive and energetic from my simple health changes was quite simple it was cutting out processed food, sugar and eating organic foods the way my great grand parents ate.”
Fast forward to March 2009 when Nicci first started Miss Organic.
“I was delivering fruit and vegetable boxes in my little car and showing people how simple it is to get a small box delivered,” she says.
Inevitably business did pick up with Miss Organic providing a trusting source of fresh healthy food.
“It does not have to be difficult and that is why I have chosen to deliver food because this is a way we can all connect,” she says
“The most common thing we do every day is eat so I encourage everyone to take responsibility for their health and look after each other because we only got one body and only one life.”
This is post was written by Bev Wilkinson. Follow me astrostar123 and hit me up if you would like me to cover any of your tech/digital event in Melbourne.
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View some pics from the flickr account 
