Growing the local food economy with some workshops held across the Bulkley Valley in the next few weeks is the aim of an economic development group touring the province.
The group Home Sweet home, that started off as a local foods grocery store, will be holding workshops in hopes to relay some strategies to other local food producers and sellers across the north west.
“We’re really focused on working with communities to shift the discussion in the north on how to grow the local food industry,” says Co-founder Diandra Oliver.
She’s critical of the larger more corporate food industry that overshadows the locally grown food producers.
“So when you support business outside your community they don’t care about who eats, and how far it takes to get food,” says Oliver about the struggle in Houston and Fraser Lake accessing a grocery store following the closure of both Supervalu stores. She says those companies only care about the bottom line.
Rather than attracting those larger corporations, Oliver encourages municipalities to further support local food producers and sellers.
Houston did just do away with some bylaws that saw a large 900 dollar event fee for food vendors in the central area. Council has seen a rise in those vendors that sell local foods after the grocery store closure there.
Home Sweet Home will be in Burns Lake next Wednesday, Hazelton the 25th and then Telkwa on the 27th.