Grown by Gauteng community gardeners, a harvest of organic spring produce was quickly snapped up by shoppers at selected Checkers stores during Market Day on October 27.

The project connects community gardeners directly with customers through a curated pop-up retail environment, which provides a platform to sell produce directly to the public while gaining practical market experience.

The 18 growers from Gauteng that took part are among over 320 community food gardens supported by the Shoprite Group across southern Africa to strengthen food security.

Tsakani-based community food garden Plenty Green Africa was at Checkers Hyper Mall@Carnival on Market Day.

“Market Day is about so much more than the spinach, fresh herbs and the wide variety of farm-fresh seasonal produce that customers can purchase,” said Sanjeev Raghubir, chief sustainability officer at the group.

“When shoppers interact with growers in a market setting, it’s not only trading that takes place. This relaxed yet professional exchange is intended to help build confidence among the sellers, while giving buyers an opportunity to connect directly with the people behind the produce.”

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On a practical level, valuable skills are passed on by the retailer to participants, including product presentation, pricing, customer relations, communication and record-keeping; these can significantly strengthen a budding farmer and entrepreneur’s business.

Beyond Market Day, the Shoprite Group continues to support community food gardens through its Act for Change programme, which has assisted hundreds of gardens with training, seedlings and infrastructure.

The Act For Change Food Garden Competition is a national celebration of local gardening heroes, and online entries are open now.

With collective prizes of R1m in the form of support tailored to each garden’s needs, this competition aims to recognise community food gardens’ contribution to local nutrition, environmental sustainability, and community upliftment.

Entries are welcome from all community gardens. Enter until November 15 at actforchangefoodgardencompetition.datafree.co – entry is free and no data costs apply.

“Market Day is a manifestation of an ethos that where vegetables grow, so does hope. We couldn’t be prouder of all the gardeners, whose enthusiasm, dedication and hard work continue to improve lives and livelihoods,” said Raghubir.

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