Refillable foods at the Farmers Market
Potter Betsy Van Burgh is expanding her pottery business to the sale of bulk and non-bulk food in refillable containers.
“I have some pottery pieces that can also be used for refilling,” Van Burgh said. “I wanted to reduce our plastic bottle usage and plastic bags and wrapping. The idea is to have less plastic go into our landfill and into our oceans. And since all plastic is not recycled, I figured this would be a good way to get us all to reduce our consumption of it.”
Customers can bring a jar or bag to purchase everything from liquids such as olive and canola oil, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar and dish soap to dry goods like flours, chocolate chips and organic fertilizer.
“If you don’t have a jar, I have some for $1 each you can refill,” Van Burgh said.
She is selling her goods at the Haines Farmers Market.
Foundroot offers online produce sales
Local farmers and owners of Foundroot are offering produce sales online, and have opened the company website to five other local businesses.
Foundroot owners Leah Wagner and Nick Schlosstein have been selling seeds online for eight years. The effort to sell produce online comes after a drive to increase sustainability, envisioned during their experience with the Southeast sustainable business competition Path to Prosperity. Foundroot was selected as one of two winners last winter.
“We did a portion of our farm sales online through email last year but we wanted to make it available to all our local customers on an easily accessible website,” Schlosstein said.
Customers can shop online Sunday through Tuesday from a selection of rotating, locally grown produce, groceries, prepared meals and other items that come in a pre-packaged box from Foundroot and other businesses.
Wagner and Schlosstein are also offering relevant activities for customers like “social distancing dinner kits” with s’mores including chocolate bars from The Magpie Gallery, homemade marshmallows from Malo Nista Catering, and Foundroot’s fresh strawberries.
Foundroot’s first online sale begins on July 5 with the first pickup on July 8 from 4 to 6 p.m. at The Magpie Gallery. They plan to offer produce through fall.