When was the last time you went to your local farmer's market? (William Perugini / Shutterstock.com)
These days, it isn’t only a question of what is on your plate, folks are more curious about the origins of their food, keen to know exactly where it’s from and how it was cultivated. Lucky for us, consumers are being heard and there is an increasing amount of local food ventures providing fresh food that can be tracked to its source. These eight fresh food initiatives are making the food cycle more transparent and significantly tastier.
1. RIPE NEAR ME
Ripe Near Me is a produce-sharing site that gives backyard farmers the chance to sell, swap or give away their excess harvest. The idea came about when the two Aussies behind the project saw their neighborhood citrus trees full of perfectly tasty fruits that nobody was eating, yet local stores were selling the same product.
WHERE: US, Europe and Australia
ADDED VALUE: Users can search the digitized local urban farmer's market based on location and what type of produce they are craving. Taking it a step further, there is a subscriptions page that notifies folks when a specific growers’ harvest is ripe and available for pick up.
2. LA COOPÉRATIVE ARDENTE
This online supermarket is a co-op owned by 260 of its clients. It sells a wide range of products, from produce, meats, cheeses, cosmetics and household items, and even offers home delivery. Everything sold by Coopérative Ardente is either organic, locally sourced or Fair Trade.
WHERE: Liege, Belgium
ADDED VALUE: It only takes 100€ to buy a share in La Coopérative Ardente and become a collaborator and part of the social enterprise. Since collaborators have a stake in the business, they’re invited to an annual General Assembly that discusses the progress and workings of the coop, so their voice really counts.
3. FARMPLATE
This online directory works with over 40,000 sustainable food businesses with a goal to make local food sources - markets, restaurants, farmers and the like - more accessible to foodies. This ‘real food’ listings site is easily accessible for consumers while boosting the business of real food professionals.
WHERE: All over the US
ADDED VALUE: Farmplate’s Glossary demystifies sustainable food lingo with more than 300 terms, phrases and catchwords related to sustainable foods and farming.
4. VITAL CHOICE
The online seafood company sells sustainably sourced organic seafood from trusted wild fisheries and farms. Headed by Randy Hartnell, a former Alaskan fisherman, Vital Choice processes and flash-freezes seafood hours within harvest, preserving the freshness of the food upon arrival.
WHERE: US and select products to Canada
ADDED VALUE: The socially-minded business donates a portion of its profits to causes such as the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch, the Natural Resources Defense Council and Healthy Child Healthy World.
5. SKY GREENS
Sky Greens has come up with an innovative solution to deal with the limited farmable land in Singapore, by creating a vertical urban farming system that uses minimal land, water and energy resources. The green-patented technology grows tropical vegetables all year round in protected outdoor greenhouses, safe from pests and temperamental weather conditions.
WHERE: Singapore
ADDED VALUE: The crop production yield is five to ten times more per unit area compared to other Singaporean farms growing vegetables by conventional methods.
6. HEALTHY CORNER STORES NETWORK
Many communities in the United States have been declared food deserts, as they lack access to healthy, fresh food. The Healthy Corner Stores Network is looking to change that, by changing the face of the neighborhood corner store – usually stocked with sweets and junk – into a nutritious one.
WHERE: In select cities throughout the United States
ADDED VALUE: The Network provides educational resources and tools to enable small-scale stores in underserved neighborhoods the chance to transform from junk food havens into fresh food paradises.
7. GOOD EGGS
This online grocery store for local food allows farmers and foodmakers the chance to sell their goods on the internet. Good Eggs’ users shop directly for their groceries, which are prepped, packed and delivered to homes or special delivery spots.
WHERE: Bay Area, Brooklyn, Los Angeles or New Orleans
ADDED VALUE: Shoppers can buy prepared foods like baby food, full entrees and tasty snacks.
8. GOTHAM GREENS
New York’s first greenhouse facility now has two rooftop locations and a third in the works. The greenhouse produces premium pesticide-free produce all year round, catering to local supermarkets, restaurants and markets.
WHERE: New York
ADDED VALUE: Gotham Greens is dedicated to sustainable growing practices, such as hydroponics - growing plants in liquid mineral nutrient solutions and without soil.
