Interested in learning more about a new way to use the power of "community buying" to put healthy organic food on your table as affordabley as possible? Welcome to Largo Organics - the new organic produce and bulk food ordering service that is working with Blue Earth Organics (Winnipeg's hidden treasure of organic food stores - located at 1855 Portage Ave).
The High Cost of Eating Organic
Organic food is more expensive to buy wholesale than non-organic foods. It also has a very high markup, due to shorter shelf life and lower demand in the market place (though that is demand has risen in recent years - prices have not come down accordingly). Our price comparison research tells us that organic food is generally marked up over cost anywhere between 45% up to 185%, depending on where you shop. We support the need for every business to earn a fair profit, but this puts organic food out of the reach of many families.
You can get organic food at many main-stream grocery stores at a lower price than at some organic food specialty stores, but some of us don't like the main-stream store experience, or have concerns about food handling, freshness, and carbon footprint. Some of us prefer to support local businesses rather than large chain stores. Some of us prefer a more communal food experience, where healthy food and home cooking become part of our social life, family values, and community building.
LARGO - A different way to shop
Largo hopes to offer good service and good value to anyone who wants organic food, at affordable prices, along with supporting a local business, and creating a slow food community for those who want to learn how to cook with more natural and whole ingredients. We also want to give people the opportunity to share in the food distribution chain - getting closer to the sources of their food, by supporting local farmers and food producers.
Why Largo? It means "slow" in Italian, and is used in musical notation. We are believers in the "slow food" movement - where meals are made (not microwaved) and savoured. Some of us even make our "scratch" from "scratch" as the old joke goes.
Our plan? We want to leverage the best practices of co-ops and food buying groups against the realities of whole-sale distribution and bulk ordering requirements to minimize shipping costs, maximize food freshness and have affordable pricing. We plan to expand our product offering as we are able, and will eventually include many organic options to everyday foods, spices, raw nuts, flours for baking, etc... We have a commitment to "local/regional" when possible, and want to minimize the carbon footprint of our food purchases. If food is travelling to our table, we want to make sure it is sustainably farmed, organic/certified organic if possible. We can also source gluten free, vegan and vegetarian alternatives to many "regular" food products.
Want more information to see if you and Largo are a good fit? Email us at largoorganics@gmail.com to learn more about how ordering your food through Largo can save you money, and connect you to better quality food, and other people interested in healthy and sustainable eating.
Thanks for your interest - and if it is a good fit for you - we hope to have you join us! Remember to eat slowly, and savour life!
Organically yours,
Largo Organics
Largo Organics is comprised of a buying team with over 15 years of consumer goods purchasing experience for a Big Box store and a small food cooperative, and a client services team with over two decades of cat-herding, team building and event planning experience. We work with Blue Earth Organics (est. 2007) to provide a food ordering service that can make organic food affordable for everyone.
No comments:
Post a Comment