“Localtarian” is the latest green buzzword to be doing the rounds. Unlike activities such as egging whaling ships, or riding a bicycle instead of flying to Johannesburg, this act of environmental and civil concern is an easy feat for Grahamstonians and will help lighten your conscience without necessarily lightening your wallet.
“Localtarian” is the latest green buzzword to be doing the rounds. Unlike activities such as egging whaling ships, or riding a bicycle instead of flying to Johannesburg, this act of environmental and civil concern is an easy feat for Grahamstonians and will help lighten your conscience without necessarily lightening your wallet.
A "localvore" or "localtarian" buys locally produced products; an act that increases local employment, helps to strengthen the community financially and is environmentally friendlier because less fossil fuels are used to transport products.
“Buying local is an important act by the citizens – it helps control the price of food,” explained Ingram Reed, a local farmer in Belmont Valley and co-owner of Lungi and Ingram's Fresh Farm Stall in Peppergrove Mall.
“By relying on produce that has been trucked down from the northern provinces, you are paying more for the food as it had to come down such a long chain of command. By keeping it local, the food is cheaper as there are less middle men, as well as the fact that it tastes better as it's fresher,” he said.
In the shop you can find cabbages bigger than bowling balls, deep purple aubergines and plenty of other fresh produce items that line the shelves. There are even fresh eggs from free-range Grahamstown chickens on sale.
Also in Peppergrove Mall the Grahamstown Home Industries shop can be found, which is a co-operative, meaning that suppliers to the store have to be share holders and the products are assessed by the democratically elected management committee.
Joy Tandy, chairperson of the committee, is a firm believer in thinking local: “As the customer you have the benefit of being assured fresh produce whilst boosting the local community. We are a Home Industry, and so we help provide income for local homes.”
Pies, quiches, soups, puddings, ready-made oven meals, preserves, flowers, vegetables and much more is available. Occasionally one can even find fresh honey from Riebeeck East on the shelves.
As far as local dairy goes, the owner of Wylie's dairy farm, Peter Wylie has Grahamstown's dairy needs covered as the farm has been supplying products since 1946. The healthy herd of Jersey cows produce fresh milk, cream, yoghurt and amasi which is delivered to Grahamstown and Kenton-on-Sea.
“The fresher the product the better," Wylie said. "And our milk is fresher because it's so close.” “If you want to offer something as truly fresh, it has to be local,” agreed Russell Shelton, Pick n Pay's Grahamstown manager.
“Our fresh fish has been out of the water for only about four hours by the time it arrives at the store ready to be sold,” he said.
The Pick n Pay supermarket has a commercial license to catch fish in Port Alfred, which are then cleaned at the harbour and immediately sent to Grahamstown. Understandably, sending out the boat depends on the weather conditions of the day, so the supply of fresh fish fluctuates, Shelton added.
Jumping aboard the localtarian express doesn't have to be confined to edibles, as Tracy Jeffery, owner of Kisma & Co (on High Street) explained: “A lot of people in Grahamstown have some sort of creative hobby or outlet and we provide a space to showcase and sell their products.”
The business stocks a plethora of local handicrafts including children's clothing, greeting cards, ceramics, jewellery and a treasure trove more. “The products are all made locally and so the money you spend is probably going to go to someone you know. As everything is made by locals, there is a uniquely Grahamstown feel to the products, an individuality you don't find any where else,” Jeffery said.
With all these available products and the knowledge that one is directly helping people in the community, keeping it local really does make things lekker.
