Support Canadian Agriculture and Buy Local

Support Canadian Agriculture and Buy Local

Michelle Pinon News Advertiser

Many small businesses were struggling long before COVID-19, and their survival will hinge on local support in the coming weeks and months.

Food and its supply chain, security and sustainability are of great concern. What is in the control of consumers is where they spend their money and what they spend their money on. For Jeannie and Jerry Windels, who owns andoperates Skyline Greenhouse in Lavoy, every sale is a reason to celebrate.

The company also owns and operates a retail store on main street in Lavoy where you can find living red leaf lettuce, herbs, swiss chard, baby and adult bok choy, fresh off the vine tomatoes, pickling and mini cucumbers. In a month or two, bell peppers and eggplant will be ripe enough to offer customers.

Skyline also has canned tomatoes available for sale at the store. Additionally, there are offerings from several vendors from the Edmonton Farmers Market who are offering the YEG Survival Kit. Jeannie has personally met the vendors, and she carries some of their top quality products like salsa, guacamole, corn chips.

Jeannie and Jerry Windels of Skyline Greenhouse have been offering top quality produce since they opened their business in 2003. In March of 2019, they opened their first retail outlet in Vegreville. (Submitted Photo)

“It’s neat to be able to support local,” said Jeanne. Buying local also helps minimize the spread of COVID-19 and ensure local businesses are still in business once the crisis is over. She also supports Vegreville Mayor Tim MacPhee’s recent public statement urging residents to stay in the community, and avoid all non-essential trips to the city for shopping or socializing. “If everyone does their part, we can beat it.”

Normally, Skyline Greenhouse sells its produce at nine farmers markets. This year they were planning to attend six of those markets, but three of them have been canceled, and they are waiting to hear back about the other three outdoor markets. At the greenhouse, Jeannie said they are following all of the recommended safety health practices and wearing masks as a precautionary measure in the greenhouse. At this time the company is also offering to deliver orders to customers in Vegreville and Lavoy.