Locally grown produce from volunteer garden now offers delivery

Kitchener-Waterloo residents can now get locally grown produce from The Working Centre's Hacienda Sarria Garden Market (HSGM) delivered to their homethanks to a partnership between Eco Courie,an emission-free delivery companyinKitchener-Waterloo, and The Working Centre.

HSGM is a volunteer-led garden that offers a variety of produce to the community every week through community supported agriculture shares.

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Purchasing a small share provides an individualor couplewith four to six items every week for 15 weeks, while a large share provides six to eight items in that time frame.

People then have the option to pick up their produce at the Hacienda Sarria, the Queen Street Commons Cafe or the Tannery.But thanks to the recent alliance, people now have an alternative.

Reaching more people

Talks about the partnership started several weeks ago, after Armin Eichhorn, a rider with Eco Courier, purchased a share from HSGM earlier this year and noticed that the market's pick up times may be limiting for people who work during the week.

"Pick up is until 6 p.m. and for some people it might be a little stressful to get there," said Eichhorn.

"For some people it's more convenient to get [produce] delivered by us rather than having to make it to downtown or the garden on a certain day at a certain time."

HSGM currently provides locally grown produce to 80 households in Kitchener-Waterloo and this partnership provides the means for them to reach out to more people.

"Eco Courier is going to give us the ability to reach a much wider group of people who want to support the work we are doing and are passionate about local food," Adam Kramer, a gardener with HSGM.

Eichhornsaid people can use their delivery system as many times as they want, even if it's just once, or they can request to get their produce delivered every week forthe rest of the season.