St. Albertans are spoiled with fresh, local produce every summer and fall, abundant and easy to find at Western Canada’s largest outdoor farmers’ market. And even as fall wanes, the indoor market at St. Albert Place keeps late harvest carrots, beets and onions coming until the snow flies. But what if you could have the same farmers’ market-fresh, local and mostly organic produce delivered to your doorstep year round?
A few CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farms offer fresh produce subscriptions for pick up in St. Albert from spring to fall, but none deliver to the door year round and none offer an online store of 1,800 products to shop from meats to milk to cookies to supplements until now. Meet Spud.ca, the new kid on the block in the capital region’s organic food scene, catching on quickly with Edmonton and area homeowners and businesses who want healthy, local foods at reasonable prices.
Corbin Bourree, managing director of Edmonton's shop (others are in Calgary, B.C and California), said he's excited to work with farmers and producers from Central and Northern Alberta to bring customers the best in local fare, whatever the time of year.
“Our first aim is to offer both local and organic, then local, then organic,” said Bourree, who has partnered with the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market, Bloom Cookie, Prairie Mill Bread, Reclaim Urban Gardeners, Sparrow’s Nest Organics and many more suppliers. “If you have mobility issues, or don't have access to organic foods, or don't want to seek it out all over town, we can bring it to you.”
Graham Sparrow owns Sparrow’s Nest Organics in Strathcona County. A regular at the St. Albert Farmers’ Market and 124 Street Grand Market in Edmonton, Sparrow produces certified organic vegetables on 70 acres –popular items like pre-washed spinach and arugula, kale and Swiss chard and he has now partnered with Spud.ca to help fill their fresh-harvest bins.
“There’s great demand for these local, organic vegetables today it hasn’t always been that way,” said Sparrow, who has farmed for 15 years and been certified organic since 2003. “Spud understands that we can only grow so much, and bring it to market at a fair price.”
Bourree said customers who are determined to eat local can read an online tracker to see exactly how far each product has travelled to get to the Spud.ca warehouse. As well, the company offers an unconditional guarantee on every product sold. “If a customer cuts into an orange, and it’s dry, you click a button with the online form, and you don’t pay for it,” he said.
In fact, online orders are growing fast from 40 weekly deliveries upon start-up in September, to well over 500 today for weekly residential delivery (or monthly, or one-time only) and downtown or industrial park businesses. “Our goal is to have people drop the chocolate bar and pick up a piece of fruit,” Bourree said, “and companies are loving it. Some even want fresh fruit delivered every weekday.”
Colin Kot, a customer who doesn't drive and lives in a high-rise condo, said he sought out the service when he moved here from B.C. “It's simple to order online and the product is very good,” he said.
Bourree said he’s glad his suppliers have exposure to a wider audience than they can find at a farmers’ market, and that Spud.ca can fill a need. “Our numbers for St. Albert have exploded. People are anxious to give this service a try,| said Bourree. “And by this time next year, we hope to double the number of products we carry.”
Spud.ca founder Peter Van Stolk is originally from Edmonton. After making his mark in the U.S. with Jones Soda, the entrepreneur created the organic food delivery business Spud.ca in B.C.<br /> <br />• Spud.ca has 1,800 products on shelves and online. Central Alberta favourites are meats, gluten-free products and fresh baking.<br />• Home delivery is available throughout Edmonton, Spruce Grove St. Albert and Sherwood Park.
