Wildsight Elk Valley’s Local store, the valley’s first shop offering year-round access to local produce, officially signed a lease to move into a new location in downtown Fernie, aiming to be up and running before Christmas.
Adapting their original plan, the Local store will now be located at 632 Second Avenue, the previous location of Freshies Cafe.
“We are very excited to announce our brand-new store space in downtown Fernie allowing customers to purchase from local farmers and producers 12 months of the year,” said Robyn Peel, Local store coordinator.
“We had to make it a quick pivot, but the store will provide much more service to the community because of it.”
According to Peel, the new location will allow the shop to carry increased inventory, encouraging more local producers to sell their products. The new location will also include a rent-able commercial kitchen, supporting the producers in bringing their products to market both easily and safely.
“Community support has been strong as was highlighted through large numbers of orders being placed during the October and November Harvest Online events that allowed customers to order local food before the store opened,” added Peel.
Wildsight Elk Valley hopes their new undertaking will encourage residents to shop sustainably, cultivating a resilient and knowledgeable local food culture.
For more information and to keep up to date with announcements including their official opening date, visit wildsight.ca/local or head to the Local store’s Facebook or Instagram pages.
READ MORE: Local Store launches online harvest orders
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