116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
My Biz: Big Creek’s products off the beaten path
Karen Thornton found her passion for organic products shortly after becoming a mother.
That's when a crop-duster came by Thornton's open window and covered her and her baby in pesticides. After that, she said she started investigating organic products, pesticides and herbicides.
'In Mount Vernon and Cedar Rapids, there was a limited market for organic products,” Thornton said.
She opened Big Creek Market in downtown Mount Vernon in 1997 and moved it across the street in 1998. Nearly 20 years later, Big Creek offers organic food, fair-trade gifts and ethically sourced products.
Thornton said she tries to stock the store with items that aren't in the mainstream, but it has grown increasingly difficult as organic options have become more popular.
Thornton's decision to avoid the mainstream is informed by economics on one hand and ethics on the other.
'People now are more aware of how terrible sweatshops are,” she said. Big Creek first started providing fair trade chocolates and coffees because of the historical mistreatment of workers in those industries.
Big Creek now features a line of fair-trade gifts such as sweatshop-free clothing and Bolga baskets.
'I try to provide products my customers want, or else there's no reason to be in business,” Thornton said.
In Big Creek's early years, there weren't many places to eat in Mount Vernon except for bars, Thornton said. So Big Creek added a deli with soups and salads to accommodate community members who wanted to eat in a smoke-free environment.
Big Creek still maintains the deli and coffee shop offerings, but has cut back on some options as more food providers have popped up in the community.
Thornton said she focused on creating an environment where community members could congregate, chat and shop together.
'That's the atmosphere we want to get back to,” Thornton said. 'If people want to linger we want them to feel comfortable doing that.”
' Know a company in business for more than a year that would make an ideal My Biz? Contact Francie Williamson at francie.williamson@thegazette.com
At a Glance
Who: Karen Thornton
What: Big Creek Market
Address: 100 First St. SW, Mount Vernon
Phone: (319) 895-8393
Owner Karen Thornton of Mount Vernon pose for a portrait at Big Creek in Mount Vernon on Thursday, May 07, 2015. Big Creek has been open since 1997 selling organic, free-trade, and ethically made products. (Michael Noble Jr./The Gazette)
Items such as wine and books are on display at Big Creek in Mount Vernon. The business also features a line of fair-trade gifts such as sweatshop-free clothing and Bolga baskets.
Free trade coffee beans at Big Creek in Mount Vernon on Thursday, May 07, 2015. Big Creek has been open since 1997 selling organic, free-trade, and ethically made products. (Michael Noble Jr./The Gazette)
Owner Karen Thornton of Mount Vernon restocks a shelf at Big Creek in Mount Vernon on Thursday, May 07, 2015. Big Creek has been open since 1997 selling organic, free-trade, and ethically made products. (Michael Noble Jr./The Gazette)
Michael Noble Jr. photos/The Gazette Owner Karen Thornton of Mount Vernon talks with Junko Fujimori of Mount Vernon on May 7 at Big Creek in Mount Vernon. Big Creek has been open since 1997 and sells organic, fair-trade, and ethically made products. Thornton said she tries to stock the store with items that aren't in the mainstream.
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