Four Southern Alberta retail Co-ops are making it easier for customers to identify products that are made, grown or raised close to home. Drumheller, Eckville, Pincher Creek and Westview Co-ops are partnering with the Edmonton-based Localize Your Food project. They join Calgary, Central Alberta and Medicine Hat Co-ops, who introduced the initiative early this year in their communities. The four Co-ops are pleased to participate in and support the Localize Your Food initiative. Their participation continues Co-op’s tradition of being locally invested and supporting local businesses, while providing customers with quality service and products. Local grower Teresa Van den Hazel of Picture Butte, Alberta-based Hazy Hollow Acres is excited about the Localize Project and the increased exposure that their product and story will have at Co-op. “We, as a small, family garden, try to grow our food as healthy as we can with no chemicals, no pesticides, and no commercial fertilizers,” she said. “Nothing is fresher than local food which comes out of the garden and [arrives in] the store within 24 hours.” Participating products that meet local and regional criteria will be identified using orange Localize shelf labels. Localize has identified between 46 and 61 vendors with 285 and 438 products that meet local and regional criteria in each of the four Co-ops. These labels describe location of production, location of business owners and a score between zero and 10, with 10 considered the most local. In addition to production and ownership, the score considers the source of ingredients and sustainability factors. A quick-response (QR) code on the label can be scanned using a smartphone to learn more about a particular product. “Consumers are very interested with where their food comes from, with concerns such as optimum flavor, quality, shelf life, value, and perhaps most importantly, food safety,” said Paul Prins, general manager of Pik N Pak Produce, located near the Village of Gull Lake, Alberta. “The Localize Project helps to address these concerns by connecting consumers with food producers who are closest to them.” Pik N Pak Produce will be a source of greenhouse vegetables such as tomatoes, English cucumbers and sweet bell peppers. Nolan Fisher of Fisher Farms produces pork and market vegetables near Didsbury, Alberta. He said the Localize Project has potential to increase consumer awareness. "It is a privilege to provide our communities with high quality food and vibrant health. We believe that the stronger our commitment to sustainable farming practices and to the local farmers that keep them alive, the stronger our bond with nature and with our native Alberta.” Glen Sinnamon of Living Foods, an Innisfail-based grower, is also excited to see the increased visibility of his product on store shelves. “Living Foods has been growing green sprouts locally in the Alberta market for over 31 years. We are proud serving Albertans such a tasty and healthy product. When you buy local, supporting Alberta companies, you’re supporting Albertans.” There are 35 Co-op food stores that are now participating in the initiative throughout the seven co-operative associations.
Posted on: Tue, 09 Jul 2013 14:27:21 +0000
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