A Blenheim area greenhouse is looking to reduce waste and unload some tomatoes.
Platinum Produce co-owner Bonnie Verbeek says they’ve been facing an overstock of vegetables, partly because of restrictions on restaurants.
“if you go in and eat at a restaurant, many times you’ll order a side salad. But if you order takeout, you’re not necessarily going to order that side salad that comes with all the cut up tomatoes on top,” Verbeek explains. “The other part of the problem is that there is a lot of importing of produce happening right now that’s coming from south of the border, so we’re kind of closing out the market to our own local produce when we’re importing it from other countries.”
Verbeek is encouraging everyone to check the labels on produce at the supermarket and make sure they’re really buying Canadian.
“I went into a local grocery store that had tomatoes on sale, and the sign said “On sale, product of Canada,” but when you look at the label it said “Product of Mexico.” When you live in such an amazing agricultural area, demand it. Demand that you want local, demand that you want to support your local businesses because we’re the ones that are giving back to the community.”
The company has been selling their overstock tomatoes to the public for five dollars as skid at their greenhouse on Communication Road, south of the 401.
Thousands of tomatoes were sold off yesterday. Verbeek says one man came from London yesterday to buy 22 flats of tomatoes to give away to the elderly in his community.
