Shoprite and Checkers Market Day gives community gardens access to wider customer base
The Carroll Shaw Memorial Centre, a local community food garden, sold their fresh produce at Checkers Tambotie Mall on March 10.
Local community food gardens had the opportunity to sell their fresh and organically grown crops directly to the public at selected Shoprite and Checkers supermarkets nationwide on Thursday, March 10.
Read initial article here: Local food gardens to sell fresh produce at Checkers Tambotie Mall
Market Day was first introduced in 2017 to further extend the retailer’s support of the many community food gardens it partners with to provide the gardens with a platform to sell their fresh produce and to promote themselves to a wider customer base. While it creates an additional income earning opportunity, garden members also gain invaluable skills about operating in a formal retail environment.
The following gardens participated in the Shoprite and Checkers’ Market Day – selling produce such as spinach, green peppers, tomatoes, cabbage, lettuce and green beans:
GAUTENG:
• Farm to Folk – Checkers FX Emfuleni
• Siyakhula/Reahola – Checkers Grey Owl Midstream
• NOSA Early Learning Orphans and Vulnerable Children’s Centre – Checkers Pretoria North
• Carroll Shaw Memorial Centre – Checkers Tambotie Mall Randfontein
• Mahata Mmoho – Checkers Hyper Vanderbijlpark
• Dithaka Dikopane Cooperative – Checkers Southgate
• Ufuzo Agricultural & Dropping Off Centre – Checkers Bracken Gardens
Hunger relief is at the core of the Shoprite Group’s corporate social investment programme. Through its Act For Change programme, the retailer supports more than 160 community food gardens and over 2 500 home gardens, which impacts almost 17 000 beneficiaries. In the past year, more than 570 community members were trained in sustainable food gardening, assisting them to generate an income while growing nutritious and organic food.
The Group’s food garden support includes an 18-month agricultural training and mentorship programme for community members as well as the provision of seeds, seedlings, gardening equipment, water-infrastructure and shade-netting.
