A group of 12 Manitoba farmers have a plan to create a more local, fair, and sustainable food system in our province.
It is called the Harvest Moon Food Initiative.
The farmers have formed a co-op that raises natural and grass fed beef and lamb, pastured poultry, and natural pork.
All the meat is processed locally and delivered right to their customers' doors. And their client list is growing.
Mother of two toddlers, Ella Rempel says she doesn't know if she could go back to regular grocery shopping.
The food co-op says consumers should know who their farmer is.
"You have a doctor, a lawyer, and accountant," said producer Jason Andrich, "but who's your farmer? Who's the person that provides you with your food?"
The Rempels take comfort in being able to answer that question.
And for Ella and her family, the health benefits of eating natural are just as important as the benefits of buying local.
"It's a really easy way to make a big difference especially with the economy we want to keep things close to home," she told CTV News.
She says co-op customers pay a little extra for their orders, so the farmers can make a profit and local farms can stay afloat.
More information about the co-op is available on the Harvest Moon website.
