Peoples' healthy demand for ethically-produced food has spurred an East Sussex couple to grow their organic food business.

Miles Denyer and Rhoda Baker, who established O for Organic, in Hankham, near Pevensey, in July, are converting one of the largest disused greenhouses in the county, into an organic nursery.

At the moment, the couple sell fruit vegetables and eggs from organic-certified local producers to provide one of the few home-delivery organic box schemes in East Sussex.

Mr Denyer said: "The idea is, when we have our own crops next year, we will have a ready-made market for them."

Indoor crops should be ready early next year and outdoor ones by the summer.

Because the one-and-a-half acre greenhouse has been disused for four years, the Soil Association will be able to certify the land as in "conversion" early next year. Most farms need to go through a two-year conversion period while the land is managed organically but the produce may not be marketed as "fully organic".

Planting plans include growing a broad range leaf-based crops, like salad plants, courgettes, beans, peppers and tomatoes. O for Organic hopes to sell its produce to local restaurants and schools and through farmers markets.

Mr Denyer said: "We have had lots of interest from a real cross-section of people - families, pensioners, people living in shared houses and people on low income. The thing they have in common is their concern to eat fresh and healthy produce."

The Soil Association says three out of four homes now buy organic food.

O for Organic includes recipes in the box scheme to make it easier for people to cook with the more unusual vegetables.

The firm can be contacted on 01323 741000.