If you're a health conscious person who likes to try a variety of foods, no doubt you are quite familiar with the benefits of soy based products such as milk, tofu and ice cream.

In terms of the business benefits associated with soy, just ask John Hardy of Prince Edward Island.

The family company, Maritime Soy Craft grows soy, processes it into tofu and distributes the products to several food store chains across the Atlantic Provinces.

Between 1997-2000 the sales of soy and rice beverages grew 403%.

John purchased the turnkey soy manufacturing business to provide additional income for the family farm.

It's also provided added responsibilities and a new business direction.

The organic foods market represents 1% of total retail sales in Canada and is growing at an average annual rate of over 15%.

Just prior to the business purchase, the previous owner made an additional two to three weeks worth of extra orders to cover any shortages from potential downtime and keep customers happy.

To expand their customer base and further diversify their product line, John is looking at going into markets outside the Atlantic Provinces.