Stock up on farm-fresh veggies at Checkers this Market Day

If you’ve been craving veggies so fresh, they still smell of earth and taste like sunshine, be sure to visit a Checkers store near you on Thursday, 4 April for Market Day!

This will also be an excellent opportunity to support small-scale food gardens that provide sustainable nourishment and income opportunities for vulnerable communities across the country.

As part of its strategy to fight hunger, the Shoprite Group acts for change by partnering with more than 70 gardens. In partnership with Food & Trees for Africa, the retailer offers training and provides gardening equipment as well as seedlings over a period of at least 18 months.

Market Day is an outflow of this, as it enables community food gardens to promote themselves to a broader customer base and sell their excess crops. It provides them with some much-needed extra income, but also helps boost their independence, which - in turn - leads to greater sustainability.

- Oupa Bila, director of the Caroll Shaw Memorial Centre in Brandvlei, Randfontein

Bila and his team will be participating in Market Day at Checkers Tambotie.

Those in the Mashishing area will be able to buy freshly-harvested vegetables from the Khomanani Vhanu garden at Checkers Lydenburg.

Located near Acornhoek in Mpumalanga, Khomanani is a Market Day regular and will be setting up shop for the fourth time next Thursday.

- Auriel Ngobeni, a founder of Khomanani Vhanu

According to Robyn Hills, Food and Trees for Africa programme manager, Market Day is also a great opportunity for the gardens to put the marketing- and business skills they’ve received as part of the Shoprite Group’s support into practice.

- Robyn Hills, Food and Trees for Africa programme manager

Support these gardens on Market Day by visiting the participating Checkers store on Thursday, 4 April: