Carter Breland and I opened 14 Carrot because we had a strong desire to help people improve their health with natural, healthy foods and supplements.  It's because of our loyal, supportive customers that 14 Carrot has flourished as it has over the last 19 years.  Thank you all!

I'm Nancy Jo.  I am part time, having retired as a teacher.  I became interested in the health food industry in the 80’s when my late husband, Carter Breland, went on the macrobiotic diet.  I've been associated with 14 Carrot since it opened in 1991.  After retiring from the schools, I've been privileged to work here for the last 10 years.  My main job here is in customer service which allows me to interact with people from all walks of life & this I enjoy!

My true passions in life are health & nutrition and helping people change their lifestyle to promote a healthier well-being.  As the Health & Beauty buyer and a customer service representative for 14 Carrot, as well as being a Hallelujah Acres health minister, I have been able to integrate my passions in life with my job.  If you see me at 14 Carrot and have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask!

James “Red” Rutland proudly and tirelessly worked for 14 Carrot for more than fifteen years and prior to that worked along side Ed Elbrecht at Ed’s alfalfa sprout-growing company, Solar Farms.  He played a major role in the 14 Carrot family before there even was a 14 Carrot.

 Whether you knew “Mr. Red” for 20 years or a mere 20 minutes, you could sense his warm, endearing spirit shine through every moment you were with him.  His tenacity and unparalleled work ethic made him the ideal employee, and his patience, charisma and welcoming smile made him the ideal friend to many. 

As Janet, Ed’s wife, once put it, “Some people, no matter what age they are, seem to die too young.  Some people you just want to stick around forever.”

In Fond Memory of
James “Red” Rutland
April 19, 1925 – April 15, 2010

“Live as if you were going to die tomorrow.  Learn as if you were going to live forever.”
~Mahatma Gandhi

I have lived in South Carolina and worked at 14 Carrot for about four years. I manage several departments in the store and I specialize in Raw foods, whole food nutrition, and pet/animal diets & care. I truly enjoy helping people with their diets, their health needs, and that of their pets. I follow a primarily Raw Primal Diet and avoid all processed foods. My approach to diet is simple. For the most part, if the item does not exist in Nature, don’t eat it!

Outside of work I enjoy photography (crookedeyephotography.com), preparing cooked and raw food recipes, geocaching, loud angry music, and saving animals.

Over the past 16 years I have cared for thousands of exotic animals, maintained large aquariums and habitats, and worked to rehabilitate lots of lost and injured creatures (especially turtles). I have a 1 ½ year old daughter named Jhazmyne, 3 dogs-Journey, Hero and Bonsai, a pot belly pig named Meadow, and a Russian tortoise named Sasha.

“For in the end, we will conserve only what we love. We will love only what we understand. We will understand only what we are taught.”