• Allison Miles •
• Originally published September 17, 2010 at midnight, updated September 18, 2010 at 4:05 p.m.

• What is organic?Foods must meet strict standards in order to be certified organic through the United States Department of Agriculture.

  Among these standards, meat, poultry and dairy products must come from animals free of growth hormones and antibiotics. Foods ...

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What is organic?Foods must meet strict standards in order to be certified organic through the United States Department of Agriculture.

Among these standards, meat, poultry and dairy products must come from animals free of growth hormones and antibiotics. Foods are produced without use of most pesticides.

Before a food can bear the organic label, it must be approved by a certified inspector at the farm that grows the food.

For more information on the USDA National Organic Program, visit www. ams.usda. gov/AMSv1. 0/nop.

Emilie Eggleston doesn't make your average smoothie.

You won't find milk, artificial sweeteners or even ice mixed into her blends.

"I don't eat hybrid, mutant foods," said Eggleston, who owns Raw Waves, an organic and all-natural smoothie bar inside the Organic Emporium. "When you eat healthy, you feel good."

Eggleston's business is among the latest moves in bringing organic items to Victoria. And the trend is growing through the Crossroads.

The smoothie shop got its start because Eggleston noticed a need for organic, raw drinks in town, she said.

"It started with four drinks but that didn't last long," she said of the business, which opened Aug. 16. "People are craving it. I've got a lot of regular customers already."

Organic foods are produced through means that enhance the environmental quality and must meet organic standards, according to the United States Department of Agriculture website. Foods are created without use of conventional pesticides and animals are free from antibiotics and growth hormones.

They oftentimes carry higher price tags than conventional foods.

Raw Waves isn't the only new organic venture in town. Dr. Phylis Canion opened the Organic Emporium the same day the smoothie bar began.

The store is a one-stop shop for most things organic, ranging from grocery items to supplements, frozen foods and prepared meals. In-store chair massages are even available.

Canion said plans were in the works about a year and it seemed a good time to open.

"The whole idea was to carry as much organic as we possibly could," she said. "The interest was huge."

She said she hopes to see the store grow to five times what it is now - within three years - and to continue adding items. About 75 new products have hit the shelves since the store first opened, she said.

Stacey Hurst, who found her way into the emporium for the first time in early September, said she was excited to have more organic options in town. Many items are things she's only been able to purchase in Austin.

"We need this," she said. "We really need this in this region."

The Victoria resident plans to go into business herself. She's done all-natural baking for others with fresh-ground flour and the like, for about two years and hopes to open a bakery and bistro in the near future.

"We want to promote it as something with good grains that's wholesome and tastes good," she said. "Not health food, because that automatically rules some people out."

The organic concept isn't new to Victoria.

Jason's Deli sells organic prepared meals, while Earth Works Nursery has operated as an organic nursery for nearly 18 years.

It wasn't always easy going for those in Victoria's organic biz, however, said Laurie Garretson, co-owner of Earth Works. The nursery was fairly deserted its first few years.

"We know that people just thought we were a couple of old hippies," she said. "But it has really made an about-face."

People have become more aware of what they eat and spray in their yards in recent years, she said, explaining organic gardening mimics nature and enriches the soil without harmful chemicals or poisons. In the past two years, the nursery has sold more organic seeds than ever, she said.

And the local businesses work together.

Earth Works offers a variety of milk and eggs from regional organic farmers and refers customers to the Organic Emporium for other items. The emporium, in turn, doesn't sell milk or eggs because it doesn't want to hurt the company's business, Canion said.

And, as for Eggleston? She said she's glad to see her entrepreneurial dream come true.

It feels good to offer healthy options to the Crossroads, she added.

"I can't save the world," said Eggleston, who hopes to one day become a math teacher. "So I'll use my talents the best way I know how."

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