Good Earth Market (Rehoboth)

Several years ago, Sue Ryan announced the opening of her Good Earth Market behind Bin 66 wines on the Forgotten Mile in Rehoboth Beach. This is not her first rodeo, though: She's been pushin' the healthy stuff for the last nine years at her original Good Earth Market and farm in Clarkesville, De. (a few blocks west of Millville, which is a few blocks west of Ocean View which is a few blocks west of Bethany Beach on Rt. 26, The Road of Many Names. When Sue’'s parents retired and moved to the Bethany Beach area, she visited just about every weekend. When it came time for her and her husband to retire, their plan was to simply “drop out.” That might have actually happened had it not been for her enthusiasm. And it’s that same enthusiasm that fuels the friendly and accommodating attitude at her tucked-away little store just south of the canal on Coastal Highway.

So Sue decided to fill what she felt was a need for a southern Sussex County natural grocery store. Her Clarksville “mothership (read more about it here)” is now the longest-running certified organic market in the state. She defines organic clearly and concisely: “The meat we sell has been fed with grain that is not sprayed with chemicals. No pesticides, no growth hormones, no antibiotics, no nothing. And we do not use GMOs (genetically modified organisms).”

But Good Earth Market isn'’t just shelves stocked with healthy sounding stuff. She actually grows the majority of her produce right there on her farm in Clarksville. Her Heirloom tomatoes, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, honey, specialty peppers, squash, assorted herbs and other grown goodies are go-to ingredients for the chefs at Matt’s Fish Camp, Bluecoast Seafood Grill and NorthEast Seafood Kitchen. In fact, the late über-chef (and owner of those restaurants) Matt Haley partnered up with Sue several times a year to craft farm-to-table dinners served al fresco, country-style right there on the farm. Everything they serve is created entirely from Good Earth’'s organic products. But you don’'t have to attend the dinners in order to try them (though the events are lots of fun). Good Earth Market also sells her freshly picked wares at the Fenwick, Lewes and Bethany Beach farmers’ markets.

Sue Ryan is nothing if not specific. “”What you won’'t find in my store are preservatives, MSG, high-fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils and artificial flavors or colors,” she states. “What you will find are delicious, clean chips, cookies, snacks, organic milk, free-range chicken and eggs, grass-fed beef, pork and organic cheeses. “You know,”” she smiles, “”Things people crave.”” Her meats and dairy products are imported from just up the road at The Farm, Carolyn Berl-Donald’s 100% USDA-certified organic homestead in Georgetown, De. Take a look at The Farm here.

Like any market, the aisles are filled with goodies. So I have posted a mess o' photos for you to enjoy. Drop in and enjoy her coffee bar with organic and fair-trade coffees and coffee condiments. It's a fun place to hang out. “Some of the organic items might cost a little more, but it’s all about the flavor. “I promise that you will get what you pay for,”” says Sue. She stands ready to prove that 7 days a week year-round; Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sundays from 9 a.m. ‘til 7 p.m. Check out Sue's website here. Contact Rehoboth’'s Good Earth Market at 302-226-FARM.