by Susan Tromanhauser
It all started with being homesick for a vegetable.
Unable to find vegetables specific to her Japanese upbringing, Yuki Renel grew her own. The abundant garden thrived into a small business. Her best customer recognized Renel’s interest in healthy foods, and her work ethic, and offered her a job at her health food store, soon followed by an opportunity to buy the business. Rising Thymes in Minden was created.
But the story doesn’t end there. After gaining confidence in her business skills, and recognizing the needs of the community, Renel expanded her business and Rising Thymes has opened its second location in Haliburton.
Previously, many customers in Haliburton and in the eastern parts of the County traveled to Lindsay or Peterborough to meet their diet or lifestyle needs. Rising Thymes is able to do so in Haliburton at their County Road 21 location. The second outlet allows Renel to take advantage of bulk buying, keeping costs down and enabling Rising Thymes to compete with online sales. Renel’s customers want fresh, healthy food, preferring Canadian products and wanting to spend their money locally.
To ensure freshness, many products at Rising Thymes have a very short shelf life. This was a conundrum for Renel because many of those same products have a minimum order size – too large for one store alone. By splitting the order between the Minden and Haliburton stores, Renel can make available fresh products at a reasonable price. Another strategy Renel uses to keep prices low is taking larger bulk items and repackaging them into customers’ preferred sizes.
Renel explains “everybody’s health needs are different” and she offers products to meet individual wants and needs. Rising Thymes in both locations provides products which are gluten-free, sugar-free or have sugar substitutes, as well as a variety of supplements. Customers in search of specific ingredients to make their own yogurt or sourdough bread, or even soaps, will find what they need. Rising Thymes provides refrigerated displays to ensure the freshest, healthiest ingredients.
Patrons are not just concerned with their own health, but also the health of the environment, cautious about what goes into lakes and septic systems. Renel responded to this concern with eco-friendly detergents and soaps, sold in refillable bottles. If a customer seeks something new to Rising Thymes, Renel becomes a detective, researching the unknown item to learn about its health benefits and locating a source.
Not only can patrons get products they are looking for, but they can also get free advice. Many customers look to Renel for guidance to improve their own gardens. The Minden location offers gardening workshops in the spring. Renel’s Japanese roots also come in handy for tips in Asian cooking.
The big attraction at Rising Thymes is still the fresh vegetables grown in Renel’s own garden. However, gardening is not just another task on the businesswoman’s long to-do list. Renel views gardening as her ideal way to de-stress and relax when away from her growing Rising Thymes.
