Next week is National Organic Week. Only a few years ago, organic food was considered cranky. But a few food scares, such as mad cow disease persuaded many of us to think again about the chemicals we use in food production and animal rearing.

Now all major supermarkets have a burgeoning organic section and smaller specialist shops have growing bands of enthusiastic customers.

LARBERRY FARM SHOP is one of the newest outlets in the region. Ken and Merilyn Wade and their daughter Eileen had been dairy farmers but plummeting milk prices forced them, reluctantly, to sell their dairy herd two years ago.

"It was very hard, because they weren't just animals, they were part of the family," says Eileen. After a long hard look at where they wanted to go next, they opted for organic farming.

"Party because my brother has special needs and we know how so many foods can affect him, the fewer additives and chemicals the better," she says.

Now they have organic certification, have 120 head of beef cattle and 1,200 free range hens, as well as growing cereals.

They'd built up a good market for their eggs, sold at the gate, and six weeks ago, they opened their shop.

"Most things are organic, from local suppliers, and things that aren't actually organic are produced as naturally as possible," says Eileen.

They have their own organic beef, and eggs, lamb from Ribblesdale, Broom Mill bacon and free-range poultry from the Darlings at Burtree.

The honey is made from bees kept by Kevin Nelson on Larberry Farm, the organic veg come mainly from Fadmoor and the apples come from an uncle (There're an awful lot of Wade uncles) who's restoring a nearby orchard with varieties that were available in 1912.

Many of the suppliers are old acquaintances of this column - jam from Rosebud preserves in Masham, herbs from the Herb Patch, Lanchester apple juice, cheese from Swaledale Cheese in Richmond, Shepherd's Purse in Thirsk and the Northumbrian Cheese company.

There are Mrs P's cakes and biscuits from Barnard Castle (gingerbread men of character), bread from the Larchfield Community in Middlesbrough, flour from Grewelthorpe near Ripon and Acorn organic milk from Darlington.

There are other national suppliers (including some wonderful parsnip crisps from Hereford and a number of gluten free products.

Barely six weeks since they opened, the shop is already doing well, meat orders in particular are booming. And they also have a veggie box scheme.

"It just shows that more people are taking more care about their food," says Eileen.

Larberry Pastures is just off the A66 between Darlington and Stockton, between the A66 and Darlington Back Lane near Longnewton. Tel: (01642) 583823. Open six days a week, including weekends, 10am to 5pm, but best ring.

Next to the farm shop is a shop selling wonderful wrought iron - interesting bolts, hinges and door handles plus some splendid hanging baskets, weather vanes and garden ornaments.

On Saturday, October 19, the farm shop is having their official opening, 10am to 4pm, with hot beef sandwiches to give you a taster.

MILL RIGGS is a small farm shop just on the edge of Stokesley. It had been a farm shop for a number of years but when it was in danger of closing four years ago, it was taken over by the Larchfield Community in Middlesbrough and turned into an organic shop, to give local people the chance to buy organic food.

The Larchefield Community - part of the Camphill group - in Hemlington was founded in 1986 and is a residential community for adults with learning difficulties.

The shop's biggest seller is organic meat. The cattle comes from three local farms - Hawmans in Great Ayton, Hollingworth in Chop Gate and Harland in Carlton in Cleveland, and is processed at the Larchfield Community, where they also make the burgers. Organic chickens are reared for Larchfield at Norton.

The excellent bread is baked by the Larchfield Community, the eggs come from Larberry Pastures, veg from Fadmoor, Acorn milk from Darlington and flours from Grewelthorpe and Little Salkeld near Penrith

They have a good range of dried fruits plus jams made at Botton near Danby, also part of Camphill.

"Customers come from all over, especially for the meat," says Margaret Hodkinson, whose husband Stuart is the butcher, and who runs the shop with Mary Thompson.

"The meat is all vacuum packed and keeps well. And we know people visiting the area from Edinburgh and London always come in to take our meat back with them. Must be good!"

Mill Riggs Farm Shop, Stokesley (on the by-pass, past Strikes). Open Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 9am to 5pm and Saturday 9am to 4pm. They also sell logs and kindling wood from Chopsticks in Northallerton.

On of the biggest advances in organic food in recent years has been the development of convenience ranges. Just because you want your food wholesome doesn't always mean you want to spend hours cooking it.

Go Organic, now largely owned by Unilever, was started by Sheila Ross and Charlotte Michell, a former chairman of the Soil Association.

The Go Organic range includes Pasta Sauces, including Italian Tomato and Red Chilli and Italian Tomato and Black Olive at £1.79 for 250g, and soups including Creamy Potato and Leek, and Carrot, Orange and Ginger for £1.89. Available in most major supermarkets.

Eating - or drinking - organic isn't always a matter of taste or principle. When it comes to wine, there are many of us who simply can't drink cheap wine (I know, it's a dreadful shame isn't it?) because it starts us sniffling and sneezing and weeping. Not an excess of alcohol, just an excess of chemical additives used more extensively in cheaper wines, especially red. Marks & Spencer now do two organic wines at a modest £3.99. The white, Villa Masera, is light and fresh and the red, Chateau du Par from Languedoc is also fairly light and spicy. Eminently drinkable without a single sniffle.

THE 2002 Durham Shopping Extravaganza Charity Christmas Fair takes place at the Ramside Hall Hotel, Durham on Wednesday, October 16 and Thursday, October 17, from 10am to 4pm.

More than 50 stalls from all over Britain, all selling interesting and unusual things, from the practical to the exotic, including fine food, fashion, children's toys, silver and jewellery , gifts and accessories. Plus an art exhibition and sale, and a good range of charity Christmas cards, crackers and decorations.

A great place to do your Christmas shopping - especially for tricky people.

All proceeds go to charities working in and around County Durham, including Breast Cancer Care, The Sunshine Fund and Rukba. Entrance £3.