Charlottetown Farmers' market launches local food club

The Charlottetown Farmers' Market is looking for Islanders who want to share in the passion of eating and growing local food.

I just love being able to meet a farmer and see the passion they have.- Bernie Plourde

The Local Food Club initiative is signing up members interested in meeting the challenge of having half their grocery money go to locally-produced food.

Market manager Bernie Plourde said people who sign up for the challenge will get some help as to how to best shop local.

"We'll send them some information as to how they can be successful in buying 50 per cent: with recipes, so they know what to do with the in-season vegetables they're not used to cooking with, or identifying businesses that do buy local," said Plourde.

Plourde said part of the idea of the club, beyond supporting local growers, is to give Islanders an opportunity to share the passion of farmers.

"I just love being able to meet a farmer and see the passion they have in growing their food, as opposed to going into a store and taking something off a shelf and not knowing where it came from or how it was grown," he said.

Online sign-up for the club will start at 5 p.m. Friday on the Farmers' Market web site.

The market is also holding an event Saturday to launch the initiative, which will include a chef's competition using only local food, as well as live music.