Joe Fleetwood, co-owner of United Contracting, a Bloomfield-based construction company, will open the doors of Living Greene at 23 North Washington Street -- a half block off the courthouse square.

Hours of operation will be 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. on Monday-Friday, and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays.

"The 100 percent natural or organic and going green is just something that I think is starting to weigh heavily on some people's minds. And I'm just trying to give people in Greene County a place to go locally to get to vendors from throughout Indiana all in one place. I would like to support the local Indiana economy more by being a distributor for these vendors," Fleetwood commented.

The store's mission statement points to its product line.

"It has to be 100 percent natural or organic or manufactured in Indiana," he said.

He said touting organic products is a smart thing to do for the environment and for personal health.

"The organic means basically that you plant it, you pick it and you don't use any preservatives when you package it. It's a very green process. The real definition of organic is nothing at any part or any stage of the manufacturing process touches any man-made chemicals and the like," Fleetwood, a 1996 graduate of Bloomfield High School, said.

The store also has plans in the next 30 days to open Seven Soups and Salads Cafe -- in the same location -- that will be selling a dessert menu items and what Fleetwood called "simple lunches."

The eatery will feature a variety of recipes from his mother, Pat Stoelting, who has won the annual Bloomfield Apple Festival Baking Contest more than 10 times. Fleetwood himself is no stranger in the kitchen having won five area baking or cooking contests himself.

The entire family clan is well-known for their cooking and baking prowess.

Fleetwood's aunt -- his mother's sister Mary Godsey -- claimed the title at this year's Apple Baking Contest this past weekend.

"There was like a five-year span where my mother, Pam Deckard, which is her sister, Mary Godsey, who is her sister and Margie Burgess, who is her also a sister ... all four of them won and my cousins won in the under 35 year categories."

Fleetwood said he is excited to bring a new product line to the Greene County business community.

His store will feature Watkins Food products and a variety of food items from the Greenfield Mills operation from the northern Indiana community of Howe.

Speaking of Greenfield Mills, Fleetwood said, "They are like one of six water-powered mills left in the United States."

Living Greene will offer more than two dozen varieties of organic flour mixes by the bag, 15 different popcorn products from Indiana Amish country and five kinds of gift boxes or baskets -- all from Greenfield Mills -- that can be shipped anywhere in the United States.

"We also have candles that are made in Indiana and we have soaps and decorative gifts made here in Indiana and many more gift items," he said.

A grand opening for the store is planned with a ribbon cutting by the Bloomfield Chamber of Commerce at 10 a.m. on Oct. 25.

"We look forward to joining the Chamber of Commerce and we look forward to doing business in Bloomfield."

Fleetwood said if business goes well, he wants to expand the store to other locations in the area.

"If the store does do well, our future plans are to put one in Linton and eastern Greene County. We are looking forward to doing a chain, depending on the response."