Winnipeg food co-op looking to grow 'buying group' pilot

Carlos Sosa is picking up eggs and fresh spinach. It's part of a bigger food order, a group of about 10 residents at the Old Grace Housing Co-op do together every two weeks, which gets delivered right to them in Wolseley. It's not just about the availability of food, but it's also about having it accessible to people who may be in wheelchairs, may not have a car. The Buying Group program is a pilot project run by Fireweed Food Co-op. It distributes food on behalf of local farmers and producers. So that's small-scale farmers who sell at farmers markets throughout the city and then the other projects we have give them opportunity to sell food throughout the year. Laura Pelzer is on Fireweed Food Co-op's board. She says Buying as a Group offers a more affordable and convenient option The advantage of buying as a group is that the producer can just deliver, let's say, 100 pounds of pie pumpkins, and then that can be divided for the individual customers. So it's a little bit less work for the producer, which sometimes results in a better price. She says they're looking to expand the model. Sosa believes the option should be available in more places than just his housing co-op. When this started, I actually didn't have a car, but I was able to pick up local food from here. So that meant that I don't have to go down, let's say, example, in the winter down to St. Norbert's Farmer's Market to buy, let's say, carrots or cabbages or potatoes. But now, he says his wife, who uses a wheelchair, can more easily pick up the groceries herself. Closing a gap and making local veggies available to them year-round. Rosanna Hempel, CBC News, Winnipeg.