BY MICHELE MILLER
What’s What New Port Richey
June 2020
Jeff Wright admits he’s no farmer. Even so, he understands the value of offering locally grown vegetables as a part of the organic produce section at Wrights Natural Market & Cafe in downtown New Port Richey
“We stock as much as we can when it’s in season,” he said, noting that shoppers might find some unusual options that local farmers have found suitable for growing in the Florida climate.
It’s the off-season, so harvesting has slowed as the okra and sweet potatoes take off. Wright’s primary urban farmer source has gone north to grow there for the summer, but arrangements have been made to harvest the southern plots, so there will be some locally grown offerings.
Before the pandemic, Wrights, a well-established, mom and pop operation located at 5800 Main Street, was also the site of a monthly Sunday Farmers Market.
“We suspended that because of COVID-19. People were anxious,” said Wright, who runs the operation alongside his wife, Kathy, a certified nutritionist and health coach
The local store did see an uptick in business early-on, but that subsided with the panic-buying.
“Not only were people coming in for paper goods and fresh produce, but they were also looking for products to help support their immune system,” Wright said. “We’re still seeing a higher demand from manufacturers, and that’s causing a delay in the supply chain.”
As an essential business, Wrights has kept normal business hours in the market as well as the cafe, where customers are asked to social distance.
“A lot of people are feeling isolated and we thought it was important to have a place that was open for someone to come to,”Wright said. “I think we need some kind of personal connection, and people don’t get that curbside.”
There are plans to get that Second Sunday Market up and running once it is safe to do, and Wright is looking for more growers to take part.
“The only thing we require is that you use organic methods,” he said, adding. “I see it as a way to support our local urban farmers and help with our local food deserts. And it’s also a way of letting people know that you can make money being a farmer growing in your yard.”
NOTE: Interested in participating in Sunday Morning Farmers Market? Contact Meghan or Samantha at Wrights Natural Market and Cafe at (727) 848-5140 or by email info@wrightsnaturalmarket.com. Check Wrights out on the web or on facebook.
Link to Related New Stories
- Wright’s Natural Market celebrates 25 years of business and a grand reopening in downtown New Port Richey. Tampa Bay Times (2019)
- NPR store rebrands as Wright’s Natural Market, Suncoast News (2017)
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