Locavores: IGA owner's local produce initiative
Locavore's is a fresh produce initiative aimed at 'shortening the distance between plate and paddock' by giving local producers shelf space in nearby supermarkets.
It was founded by Roz White, who owns six IGAs across Queensland's Sunshine Coast and wanted to use her reach to support the local industries.
'We've been practising locavorism for many decades, which basically means we're just buying local products and produce from a local region,' she told NewsWire.
Ms White came across the 'locavore' term on Wikipedia and created a program around it to 'showcase all of our fabulous, talented, diverse, unique, beautiful, bespoke, handcrafted products from within a 200km radius'.
Ms White's stores currently stock 170 local suppliers. Picture: Supplied
'We bring all those products and the producers into our stores through the locavore program and their products are identified in store with a tractor emblem, which is the locavore little tractor.
'It's got whites on it and 'supporting local producers,' 'join the locavores'. That helps our customers to identify local products, where the origins of the fresh food comes from and the story behind it.'
Ms White said after seeing first hand the work that goes into making our produce she wanted to celebrate the families who were responsible for it.
'I grew up on the land. I'm a farm girl, farmer's daughter, a primary producer's daughter. I grew up on a farm with cattle and agriculture,' she said.
The stamp marks products from within 200km in supermarkets. Picture: Supplied
'I just have a great respect for food and where our food comes from. Seeing first-hand the hard work, that goes into producing it and the blood, sweat, and tears, the highs and lows and the droughts and the good times and bad times.
'That had a big influence on being able to recognise (local work), bringing it into the store and celebrating the families who create our food that we enjoy.'
Ms White has been running the initiative for 13 years, with some local suppliers going on to become multimillion-dollar brands after getting their start in Roz's stores.
However, not content to rest on her laurels Ms White has set the ambitious new goal of growing the number of local suppliers to 200 by the end of the year.
'It's important to a lot of people. There are conscious and mindful shoppers and this is for the conscious and mindful shopper, but it's also about inspiring and igniting interest and engagement of other people that's sort of bringing them in because people do really care about where their food comes from and people care about our planet,' she said.
Coyo Yoghurt is one of the local suppliers that went onto to mainstream success. Picture: Supplied
'If they can enjoy something that is quality freshness, that is good for the planet and good for the community, I am finding that there are more and more and more people that want to be a part of that.'
The renowned Mooloolaba prawns are among personal favourites, however, Ms White says just because it's local doesn't mean it'll be any more expensive than supermarket standards.
'There's so much here to enjoy. It's particularly the fresh produce, the lettuce, tomatoes, mushrooms, eggs, pineapples, strawberries, avocados, it's truly endless. I can walk in and I go, 'yep, that's local, local, local'. I don't even need a sign because I know where it all comes from,' she said.
'Don't be hoodwinked into thinking that you can just walk into a store and get a product that's cheap just because that's what they're known for.
'Think about the taste, think about the quality and freshness of that product that's going to last longer in your fridge and think about the enjoyment of being able to nourish your family and nourish another family at the same time when you're having that.'
Robert White
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Robert got his start as an Editorial Assistant at the Daily Telegraph in 2024 before entering the Newscorp cadet program. With a background in history and law Robert has a passion for politics and crime reporting as well as telling meaningful stories.
@white_robb73416
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