DRAYTON – At the beginning of the pandemic, when lineups outside grocery stores were long and public health was recommending just one person per household attend the grocery store, Nadia Sommerville found herself travelling from farm to farm to buy her groceries.
“I always shop local and when COVID hit, that made it hard,” she said in a phone interview.
“But I know many farmers, so I went to them for groceries.”
She quickly found herself picking up orders for friends and family as well.
After doing that for a while, her daughter suggested turning her delivery service into a business. And the Classy Farmer was born.
Now there’s a website, classyfarmer.ca, where shoppers can scan through the offerings, place their order, make their payment, and have their purchases delivered.
Customers can also order a weekly food box that contains whatever is in season.
“Right now that’s cauliflower, broccoli, spring mix, root vegetable and rutabaga,” she said.
There are also gift items, like charcuterie boards and baskets with teas and cookies.
Meats, cheeses and baked goods can also be purchased.
Minimum orders are $49.99 and delivery is $9.99.
Sommerville can also deliver to workplaces with multiple orders. Delivery is free on orders over $300.
Deliveries are made Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and she delivers to this region on Sundays.
The website lists Elora, Fergus, Alma, Goldstone, Drayton, Moorefield, Harriston and Palmerston as Sunday deliveries.
Sommerville said she texts the household before dropping off the delivery and often receives a wave or friendly hello in return.
“A lot of farmers are really struggling and it’s hugely important to shop local,” she said. “The economy has taken a big hit.”
She continued, “I feel like I’m helping people. This helps everyone out.
“It’s much bigger than just me and my daughter delivering food.”
