The Home Grow-In sits at 3010 Cambie Street and is a lovely new collaboration of 12 co-op vendors and owners bringing fresh seasonal produce, baked goods, gourmet chocolates, locally and sustainably raised meats and dairy and so much more to the Cambie Street corridor. This co-operative store opened in December 2010 and brings with it a very welcoming and community based market experience. Already over 300 personal community produce boxes are picked up weekly.
Weddings with many products sourced locally are the best way to be sustainable. The Home Grow-In is a great location to find products produced in BC that can add a certain westcoast flavour to the celebration.
Consumable wedding favours are the best wedding favours and jam, honey, soap and chocolates are great examples that guests will love.
Urban Sweet Honey is a Vancouver produced honey and the creation of Russel Godwin. With beehives established from Kitsilano along the railway line out to Surrey they are a true reflection of the Lower Mainland’s community gardens and of course, local weeds. The bees don’t care and Russell likes the idea of food produced from weeds. This honey comes in 250 and 500 gram size at present.
Jolene’s Natural Handmade Soap.
And of course, a most delectable wedding favour is chocolate. Wendy Boys of Cocolico is a pastry chef who creates award winning chocolates and is a part owner of The Home Grow-In. More information on Cocolico will follow in Part II of this post. Cocolico does create amazing wedding favours and will be on hand at The Grassroots Wedding Fair with samples and information on custom ordering.
These lovely chocolates were named by Vancouver Magazine in 2008, as one of the “101 Things to taste before you die”.
The Home Grow-In supports social enterprise groups such as Tradeworks and has a host of beautiful wood work on hand in the store. The Book Nook brings sustainable gardening to the forefront and celebrates a local diet.
Wild Coast Edibles features Edible Landscapes, and treats from around the province from teas, cedar smudge sticks, skin care products and jewelry from the First Nations and other communities in the north.
Cedar smudge sticks are not always easy to find. The are a great tool to add an element of nature to a wedding ceremony or handfasting.
The Home Grow-In will be a welcome spot to visit when the weather improves with a garden oasis out back. With custom roasted coffee and yummy baked goods this new store will be the place to come, pick up your locally grown veggies, and relax. It is a link to where our food comes from and a celebration of the bounty we can find in BC.
The Market is open 7 days a week and offers a wide selection of food, books and gift products. It is a completely different business model and I highly recommend a visit to check it out.
written by Shona Dion
photos by sweet earth photographics
