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Buy direct from local food manufacturer/farm/producer?


shootingstar

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I noticed our local grocery chain store didn't map all the local producers that they carry their brands.  https://www.calgarycoop.com/food/best-from-the-west/ 

This grocery chain has well over 10 stores across the city and each store is a very large full-fledge store with all products and foods. So too bad, they didn't highlight the local producers who are just a few km. away.  ?

I don't consciously seek out all my local food manufacturers, producers to get pricing.  Just places where they have a little pleasant retail outlet attached to the manufacturing plant/warehouse and ...is in a bikeable location:

A mediterrean baker that supplies across B.C. Alberta, Saskatchewan: http://www.byblosbakery.com/  They make the best hummus (not super thick/gluey, not salty). Lighter phyllo pastries, wide range of Middle Eastern flatbreads, etc.  Just sitting there snacking, you see all kinds of local people buying and stacking up for their cafes, restaurants, events, families. 

Italian grocer that supplies across Alberta  (don't think they reach Vancouver, because there's another local different Italian store chain and wholesaler):  http://www.italianstore.ca/  

I don't go to the local  Chinese/Asian wholesale, fresh noodle-producers in town since they don't have retail outlet. There is a manufacturer I bike by along a parks path but it's over a fence, which it's not worth mounting.  However this is 1 of the  brands that I buy from a national Asian supermarket:  http://www.calcoofcalgary.com/default.html  I stress buying local Asian fresh noodles if you want to try it and look at the ingredients.  I'm not comfortable buying "fresh" noodles from Japan.... hate to think what on earth was used for preservatives for months.

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45 minutes ago, JerrySTL said:

I've picked up vegetables and fruits at farmer's roadside stands. WoJSTL often goes a couple of local farmers markets that sell local produce.

For sure, we do buy from local produce from farmers' markets.  Unfortunately there's not enough greenhouse operations in Alberta where the big grocery chains buy enough from them.

I guess I'm pointing out to local food producers...the 2nd tier of local businesses who are worth supporting also at times.

Now you can't beat the size of these stuffed perogies from a local Ukrainian producer from whom we buy from at a local market.  Ukrainians are historically dominant European group in our area.  These perogies are thinner skins but rarely leak the stuffed lovely potato and cheese filling. :)  The bulbous looking perogies is proof these are stuffed properly with filling.

Ukranian-Fine-Foods.jpg

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8 minutes ago, Longjohn said:

We have three large cheese plants locally. Other than a place five miles away that makes Stromboli’s and freezes them the only other local thing I can think of is roadside stands that sell produce, eggs, baked goods, honey, and homemade jams and jellies, pickles, relishes.

I grew up in Kitchener-Waterloo....the home of Schneider's meat...European hams, sausages, etc. They were dominant for a long time on the CAnadian market.  By now, other CAnadian firms and artisanal butchers have probably encroached on their territory.  We did occasionally buy the ham but not from the plant.  

After university, for my lst part-time job, I walked by a national bread bakery plant (Weston Bakeries) in Toronto. So I would hop in occasionally to buy a 50 cent loaf of bread.

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