Eat Local Sudbury pitches 'Seed to Plate Commons' to city

Sudbury's local food co-operative is about to pitch city council on a bold new vision for itsfuture, and it's asking for about$1 millionto put the plan in motion.

Peggy Baillie, managing director of Eat Local Sudbury, said the planincludes a new 7000 square footspace in the downtown, with an expanded retail space,fresh meat counter, cafeand rooftop greenhouse.

Baillie imagines the "Seed to Plate Commons" as a place where friends and families come to learn about local food how to grow,preserve and cook it.

"It's a place where you can meet your farmers at an indoor and outdoor farmer's market that runs year-round," she added.

While the total estimated pricetag on the project comes in at about$4.5 million, Baillie said the economic impact of such an operationcould be huge.

"A lot of people don't recognize the impact that food has on our economy," she said. "If we were to replace 10 per cent of the food that's being purchased in Sudbury with local food, that could have an impact of over $127 million that would be infused into the local economy.It's not small beans."

Listen to the complete interview with Peggy Bailliehere.

Morning North5:33Eat local Sudbury dreaming big about its future

Imagine a one stop shop for local food... A place you can learn how to cook, preserve and grow food, where you can meet farmers at a year round market, get the best of local food including meat, and spend some time at the cafe. Now think Eat Local Sudbury

Eat Local's proposal joinsother ideason the drawing board to revitalize Sudbury's downtown, such as offering incentives for the building of more housing.

Some of the big dreams in the downtown master plan, including a performing arts theatre or convention centre, might come up at Thursday's council meetingas well.

On mobile? See the complete "Seed to Plate Commons" proposal here