Local!

What Buying Local Means:

With over 8,144 farmers’ markets across the nation (USDA National Farmers Market Directory, August 2013), a 2012 estimate of nearly 6,500 CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture) nationwide, and a growing interest in starting farms by entrepreneurs, young folks, and those transitioning out of first careers, buying local from health food stores has never been easier. You can be part of the movement by shopping at farmers’ markets, joining a CSA, or searching out local products at your local grocer or restaurant (and asking them to offer even more!). By doing so you will reap the benefit of knowing your food dollar is doing all it can to keep the local food movement strong.

Reasons to consider buying local:

• Exceptional Taste and Freshness
• Strengthen Your Local Economy
• Support Endangered Family Farms
• Safeguard Your Family’s Health
• Protect the Environment

Community Supported Agriculture

Local vendors include the artisans we purchase our baked goods and cheeses from as well as the farmer’s markets that provide another outlet for our local producers to sell from. Friendly City also serves as a pick-up point for some of our local farms who offer CSA subscriptions – currently, Season’s Bounty, Glen Eco, Radical Roots Farm, and Saint Isidore Homestead.
Other farms currently offering CSA’s that have their own pickup locations include: Friendly Neighbor Gardens in Harrisonburg. We’re proud to connect local producers with you and share the wealth of talent and resources Virginia offers.

Interested in Becoming a Local Vendor?

We are committed to using our local vendors – if you have a product you think would be a good fit for our co-op, we’d love to hear from you! Before you submit an application, please review our Product Selection Guidelines/Vendor Guide here to make sure your product meets our selection criteria.

Our hope is to create a relationship that is equally good for our customers, the co-op and our vendors.

Please download a fillable application here and email it to denise@friendlycity.coop

Some of Our Local Vendors:

Currently, we have over 125 local vendors in over 50 different towns and cities across the state.  In addition to local fruits and vegetables, we currently carry local coffee, honey, buckwheat flour, popcorn, ice cream, prosciutto, beef, pork, chicken, lamb, corn tortillas, tofu, milk, butter, candles, face creams, lotions, soaps, lavender products, bee pollen, music CDs, cookbooks, gift cards, cheese, barbecue sauces, cereal, apple sauce, jelly, salts, herb blends, canola oil, salsa, wine, beer, vinegar, cookies, potato chips, granolas, doughnuts, breads, sandwiches, soups, chocolate, eggs, kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha, and more!

Listed below are just some of the local vendors we have the pleasure to work with.