He knows farming is a tough gig - especially during a drought, and farmers need to be environmentally and financially secure to survive.

So when they do business he lets the farmer dictate the cost of the produce. That way he knows they are earning a fair price that will assist them to keep farming.

"To be environmentally sustainable you have to be financially sustainable - you can't have one without the other. If the price they are paid keeps being driven down it has a huge affect so they set the price and we work with what they need to get," he said.

It's one of many quirks Mr Fairns has brought to his business Organic Feast, which will celebrate it's 21st year with a party at the store on Saturday night.

A few years in a "soulless job" pushed him to take the leap into an organic store in Bulwer Street, Central Maitland, in 1997. Back then organic food represented .001 per cent of the food market. There was an organic shop in Newcastle, and a couple in Sydney.

"In Maitland, with a population of 60,000 people, I had potentially 50 customers," he said. "I wanted to make a living doing something I believed in and that was good for the environment. I thought I'm going to blink and I'm going to be 50 and have not followed my heart, and organic food resonated with me. I thought this is the way food should be."

The store now sells organic food seven days a week and employs almost 50 people.

Mr Fairns estimates 20,000 tonnes of pesticides and fungicides would have been used over 21 years if the food was grown using conventional methods. That has made a significant impact on the soil, air and waterways, he said.

It hasn't all been smooth sailing though. When he bought the current site in 2006, which used to house Home Timber and Hardware, he suddenly felt completely overwhelmed.

When he shared his feelings with one of his suppliers - a Hunter egg producer, he was told "dreams come a size bigger so you can grow into them."

"We have grown into it - we now have a place where there is yoga and meditation and things people can use to improve their lifestyle."

The demand for organic food continues to rise in Maitland and across the country. That interest has led to a push for large companies to transform broadacre farms from conventional methods to organic.

While Mr Fairns welcomes the increase demand, he wants the strict certification and operating procedures to remain.

"There's a push to make it easier for broadacre farming to convert to fill the volume out. We need to make sure we maintain standards and keep the high quality of the product," he said.

The celebration will be held at the shop in East Maitland from 6.30pm. Cost is $59 per person and includes a vegan and vegetarian grazing table and a goodies bag. Organic wine is available. To book phone 4934 7351 or click here.