After a 10 years of providing local food, Cariboo Growers in Williams Lake is closing its doors.
“Definitely it’s sad but it’s also a relief because we’ve tried everything to make it work,” said Lynda Archibald, one of its founding directors.
Cariboo Growers is a co-operative run by a board of directors which opened in the spring of 2010 with the purpose of marketing locally grown meat and produce for many smaller producers in the Cariboo Chilcotin year-round.
Popular particularly around holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas, the challenge of providing fresh, local foods throughout the winter months as well as having an ongoing lack of volunteer commitment have proven to be too much for the small store.
The decision has been a tough one for Archibald and Tatjana Bates, another founding director, who have poured their hearts and souls into the venture, but they are also looking toward the future and good work and relationships that Cariboo Growers helped to establish.
“Our goal was always to grow a viable local food economy and we’ve had an excellent run. We would like to thank the City of Williams Lake, the Cariboo Regional District, businesses and all our local partners who have supported us and worked along side us,” said Bates, who is a registered dietitian for Interior Health and also chair of the Williams Lake Food Policy Council.
“Creating a local food system takes years of collaboration, hard work and building relationships and I think the cooperative has provided that, and a lot of education around the importance of supporting local food initiatives.”
Bates said the co-operative tried to reflect farmers market prices plus a little extra to cover the cost of operating the storefront.
“We wanted to give producers an income that reflected the passion and hard work they put in.”
Archibald, a farmer herself at Soda Creek, said the best part of the experience for her has been “meeting the farmers and knowing how much their food is appreciated.”
Currently the store is stocked full of harvest crops that are available for sale. Archibald is encouraging residents to come take advantage of all the fresh fruits and vegetables in store.
“We want to sell everything we’ve got.”
The store will remain open until Oct. 31.
Directors are encouraging a new person or group with fresh energy and ideas to step up to the challenge of providing local food year-round.
