June 25, 2010 - Today Thunder Bay’s Food Action Network launched the Get Fresh campaign to promote the benefits of buying foods produced close to home. As well, the public was introduced to Superior Seasons Food Market, a new online food store that easily connects consumers to local growers.
This year’s Get Fresh campaign encourages residents to check where their food is coming from and to eat local food more often. There are many benefits to buying locally produced food - it’s fresh, nutritious and loaded with flavour, it keeps money in the local economy, supports local growers, uses less packaging, and uses less fossil fuel for transport.
A key feature of the campaign is the newly revised Get Fresh guide that lists local producers who sell direct in the Thunder Bay area.
“This is the third edition of the popular Get Fresh guide and new this year are restaurants and caterers who make a significant effort to source local food,” says Catherine Schwartz-Mendez, Public Health Nutritionist. “It’s important to recognize the local businesses that go the extra mile to support the local food system.”
Making it easier for consumers and businesses to make the “local” choice is the new Superior Seasons Food Market. This online store takes the best of traditional farmers markets, Community Supported Agriculture groups (CSAs), and buying clubs and wraps them all together in an online system that's convenient for both growers and customers.
“We are very excited to have Superior Seasons Food Market now open for business as we see it as a win-win for local food producers, and families and businesses looking for an easier way to access local food,” says Jodi Belluz, operator of the website.
“We welcome individual customers, office buying groups, wholesale businesses, restaurants and caterers to check out Superior Seasons and see for themselves how fresh food is more available than they might think.”
Superior Seasons Food Market is found online at www.marketstore.locallygrown.net.
Copies of the new Get Fresh guide can be picked up at the Thunder Bay Country Market and at special events throughout the summer. It is also available online at www.nwofood.ca., along with a schedule of workshops being offered throughout the growing season to help participants preserve local finds and eat with the seasons.
The Food Action Network brings many groups together to improve access to enough affordable, nutritious, safe, environmentally sustainable food for all. Its purpose is to create awareness, support food projects, advocate for policies that support community food security, and act as an information centre for community food security in the District of Thunder Bay. It also promotes locally produced food.