As grocery prices go up heading into the holiday season, Manitobans are looking for new ways to try and save a few extra bucks.
One of those ways is by reaching out to farmers and buying meat and produce directly from the source.
For pig farmer Ian Smith, it’s always a good day when he can bring his products to customers across southern regions of the province. Picking and dropping boxes full of sausages and bacon from his truck, Smith’s products come from the pigs he raises near the community of Argyle.
The ease of access to meat products means Smith is noticing an uptick in meat gifts over the last few years.
Sig Kraft, a customer, said these are the products that everyone loves. He said he bought his pork meat from Smith for almost three years, noting that the quality is “far superior (to) what you buy in box stores.”
“I like the farmer’s sausage. That’s the number one. And the bacon, of course — everybody loves bacon,” said Kraft. “If I can help a local out that way and keep him happy and it makes us happy… the quality makes up the difference.”
Like meat, there’s a growing push for purchasing other grocery items in a more inexpensive manner. Community Support Agriculture (CSA) is a directory of farms across the province that offer customers a chance to subscribe to their farm of their choice to get access to season-wide fruits and vegetables. As stated online, the CSA program runs for 12 to 18 weeks, beginning in June.
Farms can also offer eggs, honey, flowers, jams, poultry, and other meat. Customers pay a set fee, according to the website, prior to the star of the growing season and then receive produce of their choice once available — in a weekly box.
So far, the program consists of 18 participating farms in the province.
Michelle Boulet helps to prepare CSA boxes with Jonathan’s Farm, located just north of Winnipeg.
“People tend to sort of form a community around where they buy their food,” said Boulet. She added that the number of Manitobans turning to local farmers for their produce needs is on the rise.
According to her, the program is cheaper than most stores. She also noted that the produce straight from the farmers look better.
As for the CSA program, its website states that a personal connection with a farm can help people learn more about the process of farming straight from the producers.
“I think it’s super important that people have that connection,” said Boulet. “I think that doing a farm share is sort of a step towards your own growth… (and) taking agency over where your food comes from.”
— with files from Global’s Iris Dyck.
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