Local community food gardens last Friday (11 March) had the opportunity to sell their fresh and organically grown crops directly to the public at select Shoprite and Checkers supermarkets nationwide.
In the Helderberg, Khayelitsha community food garden, Siyazama, sold their fresh produce at Checkers Somerset West.
The Shoprite-Checkers Market Day was first introduced in 2017 to extend the retail group’s support of the many community food gardens they partner with, providing these initiatives with a platform to sell their fresh produce and promote themselves to a wider customer base.
While this creates an additional income earning opportunity, garden members also gain invaluable skills about operating in a formal retail environment.
“It is scary selling our fresh produce at such a well-known stores as Checkers, but we’re extremely grateful to Shoprite-Checkers for supporting local growers and giving us the opportunity to sell our produce in their stores,” said Zimasa Mlengana of the Farm to Folk community food garden in Vanderbijlpark, Gauteng.
“It is a fantastic initiative, which brings the gardeners in direct contact with their customers and helps us understand how to sell and interact with customers,” added Sifiso Mhlongo from the Iqabungelihle Cooperative in KwaMashu, KwaZulu-Natal.
Hunger relief is at the core of the Shoprite-Checkers Group’s corporate social investment programme. Through its Act For Change programme the retailer supports more than 160 community food gardens and more than 2 500 home gardens, which impact almost 17 000 beneficiaries.
Over the past year more than 570 community members were trained in sustainable food gardening, assisting them in generating an income while growing nutritious and organic food, which has wider health benefits.
The Shoprite-Checkers 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.
