Would you like to make the switch from shopping at a big box grocery store to buying Manitoba-produced products, but don’t know where to start?
As a trade war between Canada and the United States heats up, many shoppers are wanting to buy local.
In Winnipeg, there are a number of stores that carry Manitoba-made products, offering everything from specialty meats and cheeses to fruits, vegetables and even honey.
Jardins St-Léon Gardens has been operating on St. Mary’s Road for last 27 years.
Its motto is “Eat Local, Eat Real.”
The store carries produce grown or made by more than 200 local producers.
“You’re supporting mostly very small farmers,” said owner Janelle Remillard.
“So you’ve got a bunch of different families that are trying to make a living selling vegetables. That’s who we’re supporting.”
To help make buying locally easier in the store, all Manitoba made items are clearly marked.
“Everything that says ‘real’ on it, in big red letters, that means Manitoba-grown, baked, made, created,” Remillard explained. “If it’s not from Manitoba, then you can look on the tags. There’s a lot of stuff from Alberta, Ontario, B.C.”
Remillard said they have a dedicated clientele that understands the benefits of buying local, but added she’s starting to see some new faces.
“There’s also younger people that are starting to discover what buying local means and it’s really on trend right now.”
Remillard said the trick to eating local is knowing what fruits and vegetables are in season.
“The reality is if you want to eat bananas, they come from Costa Rica, but if you want to pick local foods, you just have to follow the seasons and buy what is in season.”
Remillard said kale, other lettuces, beets and strawberries are just some of the Manitoba-made products in season right now. Potatoes and carrots, meanwhile, are ramping up, and bean season will begin in about two weeks.
Miller’s Meats is another store with the goal to be as local as possible.
The locally-owned, family-run butcher shop has been around since 1971 and has four locations throughout Winnipeg.
“We just believe in supporting our own backyard, in our own community,” said owner and operator Shawn Miller.
In addition to being a full-service meat counter, the stores also carries a wide assortment of locally-made products, including toffee, honey, coffee, and kimchi.
“One of our main objectives this year was to try and get as much local items and goods in as possible,” explained Miller.
“We really made it a goal this past year, to really make relationships with some of the people that are local vendors in farmers markets and local people and just really give them a shot and a chance to have a place to carry their product.”
Miller said that in many instances, local producers aren’t able to sell their products in major stores. That’s why the team at Miller’s Meats wanted to team up with them to give them a place to sell their products.
Miller believes buying local is the way of the future, he added.
“The money stays in Winnipeg, or stays in Manitoba. You know who you’re supporting, there’s a face to the product, and ultimately you’re helping out a friend, or a brother, or a sister, or someone that you may know.”
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