Imagine believing in something so deeply, you sell your home, move into a rental with your entire family (all 8 members of them), and work two jobs for almost 10 years to back your vision. And now your vision is nourishing over a million people every year. This is the story of Nutra Organics.
In 1998, Mark & Darlene Powell started Nutra Organics on the kitchen table of their family home. Their passion for wholefoods came from their heart and soul - their family. Studying naturopathy, they might have been labelled certified hippies back then, but they knew the best stuff for you came directly from Mother Nature. From wearing garlic in their socks to bed when they got sick, to eating mung bean sandwiches for lunch, everything was about using what the earth had provided for extra support.
However there came a point when they realised that their wholefood diet wasn’t giving them everything they needed nutritionally. Due to modern agriculture, soil quality significantly deteriorated over the years (and continues to do so) - and food just doesn’t contain the same amount of nutrients that it did 100 years ago. Resolved to do something about it - Mark & Darlsy sourced the absolute best quality superfoods they could get their hands on, that delivered a potent spectrum of nutrients while tasting delicious, and mixed together their first iteration of Super Greens + Reds on their kitchen table.
After feeling an incredible difference in their health and vitality, their community became intrigued & hooked on this superfood concoction after experiencing the difference themselves. Thus, Nutra Organics was born.
Mark worked full-time (at a biscuit factory— ironic right?) while also working full-time on Nutra Organics, door knocking on the weekends to continue to spread Mother Nature’s goodness. And don't think Mark was a one-man show. Oh no, this was a whole family affair! Everyone was involved—Darlsy, Ricki (eldest daughter), and Brit (youngest daughter).
Ten years passed, and passion still fueled the family's mission, creating products that their local community and friends needed. In 2010, they invested everything they owned into the business, selling their family home and moving into a rental all together (the family had grown to six adults and two kids). One big happy family, right? Most of the time!
The next three years were met with the hurdles of newborns, developing their kids' nutrition & fitness range, supply chains, manufacturing—making just enough to break even every year. But to this family, the small wins were all they needed. Over time, they found that every new customer they served would always come back. And if that's any sign that they were doing something right - they had thousands of loyal customers.
After learning the ropes of doing business for 13 years and growing very organically, with no money spent on advertising up to this point, Nutra Organics started to quickly snowball and run freely on its own legs. The word-of-mouth from loyal customers had been multiplying tenfold.
Focused on solving their customers’ problems with more new products that a) taste amazing, b) were easy to incorporate into everyday busy life, and c) had real health benefits, their trailblazing broth & collagen range were born in 2015 & 2017 - Australia’s first range of bone broth powders & targeted collagen supplements. Selling out at least 10 times in the first few years, customers couldn’t get enough!
And at the same time, the world was changing. People had started questioning their food and the sources of which it came from - understanding that natural & organic nutrition is far better than synthetic supplements and processed junk. In a time where food & supplements was becoming less trustworthy for nutrition, Nutra Organics was way ahead of the curve, loudly banging their wholefood drum for everyone to hear.
To this day, Nutra Organics believes in quality above all else: real nutrition that delivers real results and tastes really delicious. It is at the core of what they do, how they move forward, and what they're most proud of. Sourcing ingredients from wholefoods, within Australia wherever possible, they create products that are scientifically backed and safe for the whole family - while never sacrificing on flavour. What they have built over the last 25 years is truly a celebration of community, quality, and deep nourishment.
So, there you have it! The history of Nutra Organics, a (very) brief summary.