A mainstay of the Danforth, the Big Carrot has been setting healthy trends for nearly 40 years. An upcoming book looks at how it could take its approach to the world
A mainstay of the Danforth, the Big Carrot has been setting healthy trends for nearly 40 years. An upcoming book looks at how it could take its approach to the world
by beef-supreme
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beef-supreme
excerpt
> “Customers are a lot more educated than they used to be, and they are now looking for that non-GMO butterfly or the organic logo,” says Kate McMurray, head of community engagement at the Big Carrot, who adds that none of the store’s products contain GMOs or high-fructose corn syrup. > > One of the Big Carrot’s missions is to share with its customers info that is rarely available to the public: a sign on the fresh fish and meat bin, for instance, lists a delivery schedule to alert shoppers when the store is stocking up on particular items. > > “It’s just another example of having that relationship with our customers,” McMurray says, “so they can feel good about the choices they’re making.” > > A trained nutritionist, McMurray began working on the customer service desk in 2012, an ideal spot for her at the time. “Growing up in the area, I always aspired to work at the Big Carrot, as someone who cared about quality, healthy food,” McMurray says. “And it was so interesting to hear back then how new trends were starting to gain momentum. Coconut yogurt was a big thing years ago and now is just the norm.” > > What is also critical to the Big Carrot is its dedication to fund various local initiatives with a percentage of the profits. These may be agricultural projects or environmental-preservation collectives or nearby farms, which can apply for funding that ranges from $500 to $15,000 per grant. > > Some of these grants come from the Carrot Cache, a non-profit organization that began as a partnership between the Big Carrot and the Carrot Common, the mall where the market is one of several tenants. Its mandate is to provide more opportunities to local farms and sustainable food projects. Recipients of the $2 million awarded so far include Urban Fresh Produce, a Black-owned urban farming operation in Ottawa, and an upcoming Flemingdon Park farm focusing on organic vegetables. > > The Big Carrot’s nine founders opened the market in a small store across the street from its current location after watching a BBC documentary on Mondragon, a Spanish town filled with industrial co-ops. Four years later, they partnered with real estate developer David Walsh to construct the mall known as the Carrot Common, which also houses Big Carrot’s pharmacy and juice bar and such shops as Book City and Aya Boutique.
1 Comment
excerpt
> “Customers are a lot more educated than they used to be, and they are now looking for that non-GMO butterfly or the organic logo,” says Kate McMurray, head of community engagement at the Big Carrot, who adds that none of the store’s products contain GMOs or high-fructose corn syrup.
>
> One of the Big Carrot’s missions is to share with its customers info that is rarely available to the public: a sign on the fresh fish and meat bin, for instance, lists a delivery schedule to alert shoppers when the store is stocking up on particular items.
>
> “It’s just another example of having that relationship with our customers,” McMurray says, “so they can feel good about the choices they’re making.”
>
> A trained nutritionist, McMurray began working on the customer service desk in 2012, an ideal spot for her at the time. “Growing up in the area, I always aspired to work at the Big Carrot, as someone who cared about quality, healthy food,” McMurray says. “And it was so interesting to hear back then how new trends were starting to gain momentum. Coconut yogurt was a big thing years ago and now is just the norm.”
>
> What is also critical to the Big Carrot is its dedication to fund various local initiatives with a percentage of the profits. These may be agricultural projects or environmental-preservation collectives or nearby farms, which can apply for funding that ranges from $500 to $15,000 per grant.
>
> Some of these grants come from the Carrot Cache, a non-profit organization that began as a partnership between the Big Carrot and the Carrot Common, the mall where the market is one of several tenants. Its mandate is to provide more opportunities to local farms and sustainable food projects. Recipients of the $2 million awarded so far include Urban Fresh Produce, a Black-owned urban farming operation in Ottawa, and an upcoming Flemingdon Park farm focusing on organic vegetables.
>
> The Big Carrot’s nine founders opened the market in a small store across the street from its current location after watching a BBC documentary on Mondragon, a Spanish town filled with industrial co-ops. Four years later, they partnered with real estate developer David Walsh to construct the mall known as the Carrot Common, which also houses Big Carrot’s pharmacy and juice bar and such shops as Book City and Aya Boutique.