Couple catering to healthy tastes
Henry and Cindy Sawyer see their new Johns Island shop as more than just a
place to buy fresh seafood and organic fruits and vegetables.
Cindy's Seafood & Country Market also serves as a place to preach the
benefits of healthy eating and give back to the community, the couple says.
"I've always wanted to do something closer to the earth," said Henry Sawyer,
who, along with his wife, formerly ran a wholesale seafood business and
later a fresh seafood stand on Johns Island.
Tucked away behind a stand of trees, the red-roofed market at 4343 Betsy
Kerrison Parkway specializes in fresh local seafood and organic produce,
much of it grown nearby on the couple's farm, Full Circle Farm at Cindy's.
Fresh-made takeout foods such as shrimp-and-grits quiche, seafood lasagne
and apple crisp also are available.
Many of the store's recipes were handed down through generations of local
families, said general manager Sean Haymes-Maree. "You can't find it
anywhere else."
Besides its fresh fare, Cindy's sells an assortment of goods including
specialty foods, handmade quilts, souvenir seashells and handcrafted Chinese
imports such as teapots and furniture. Local herbalist Thom Williams, who
runs the Books Herbs & Spices shop in downtown Charleston, is manning a
table there once a week.
While many know the Sawyers for their seafood, the couple is trying to
spread the word about their latest mission: organic food. Their store is one
of the few places in the area to offer all-organic products, they say.
Organic fruits and vegetables may cost more and look less pristine than the
mass-produced, chemically treated produce widely available, but they are
healthier and taste better, Henry Sawyer said. "You lose 80 percent of the
nutrient value of produce any time you handle it inorganically," he said.
To further their mission, the couple recently started a 10-acre farm, Full
Circle, which relies on organic growing methods such as avoiding chemical
fertilizers. Besides stocking their store, the farm also sells produce to
local restaurants such as Cassique on nearby Kiawah Island and McCrady's in
downtown Charleston.
Tending the fields is Rita Bachmann, a 24-year-old College of Charleston
grad who honed her green thumb working on organic farms in New York and
California. She landed at Full Circle after Henry Sawyer hired her away from
a local natural-foods supermarket.
"This is where I found my niche," said Bachmann, who raises fruits and
vegetables including bok choy, mesclun greens, beets and squash.
While Full Circle uses organic practices, it's not yet "certified organic,"
a lengthy process that involves a 20-page application, soil and water
testing, and other requirements. The farm is hoping to attain that
designation soon.
Cindy's Seafood also buys produce from other organic farms, such as Fields
Farms on Johns Island.
Also key to the store's mission is connecting with the local community.
"We try to give back as much as we can," said Cindy Sawyer, who grew up in
Charleston.
That includes hiring mostly Johns Island natives and holding fundraisers
such as a "Crab Crack" planned for June 4 that will raise money for local
children.
The store also sells quilts made by the late Louise Snipes, a Johns Island
woman known as "Miss Handful" because she raised 10 children. All proceeds
from the quilts go to Snipes' family.
Customers seem to be buying into the Cindy's Seafood philosophy.
Kiawah Island resident Libby McCullough stopped by the store Thursday in
search of some local flounder. "The fish is always fresh (here)," said
McCullough, a longtime customer of the Sawyers' seafood stand.
The organic produce is a smart idea, too, she said. "I think a lot of people
are interested in that."
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