Peterborough online farmers’ market Locavorest is shutting down at the end of February.
Locavorest was founded in 2016 by Megan Boyles, Mark Kirton, and Vinay Viswanathan. The online business partnered with local farms, bakeries, cheesemakers, and more, all sourced within 75 kilometres of Peterborough.
They originally delivered goods to community drop-off points and, in May 2018, began to offer home delivery by bicycle and car.
“It is with great disappointment that we write to inform you today that the founders of Locavorest have decided to close our operations as of February 28th, 2019,” the founders write in an email announcement issued today (February 11).
“What a journey it has been! As you may know, over the past 3 years we’ve been working hard and adapting our business as we’ve learned more about the preferences of both our producers and customers. Despite our time, investments, and efforts over the past 3 years, we have been unable to make our model sustainable and have made the difficult decision to close our (virtual) doors.”
“However, we do see our local food system is growing in a positive way,” the founders continue in the announcement. “We’ve seen the demand for, and appreciation of, locally-grown and produced food grow dramatically over the past three years, and we’re so thankful to have been a part of that. The options for buying local are many, and continue to grow!
“We’d like to extend our thanks to you, for joining us on this journey. We appreciate all of the support and encouragement you’ve provided us. If nothing else, we sincerely hope that our efforts have inspired the “locavore” in you – to think more about where your food comes from, buy local where you can, and demand it where its not yet available.”
The announcement also states that the last day to submit orders is Tuesday, February 19th, with the final delivery date on Friday, February 22nd. Any subscriptions will be automatically cancelled after the final February 22nd delivery.
