The LEAP Community Store will sell fresh fruits and vegetables in Roanoke’s West End neighborhood.
Courtesy of LEAP
On Wednesday, July 31, Roanoke-based nonprofit Local Environmental Agriculture Project (LEAP) will officially open their much anticipated food store with a Grand Opening celebration that begins at 2 pm, with speakers, a “topping out” ceremony and tastings; it continues until closing at 7 pm. All – including media and the public – are invited to hear opening remarks (from 2:30-3 pm); take tours of the store and The LEAP Hub (from 3-4 pm); shop, meet farmers and producers whose goods will be sold at the store; and take part in giveaways (4-7 pm). This kickoff event is family friendly and will include kids activities. LEAP staff will be available for interviews and conversation throughout the afternoon.
The LEAP Hub is located at 1027 Patterson Ave. in Roanoke’s West End neighborhood. The LEAP Community Store is located at the right side of the building, on the first floor. The LEAP Community Store is open every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, from 12-7 pm.
Why open a brick-and-mortar store focused on selling fresh fruits and vegetables? LEAP’s mission is to make local food affordable and accessible to as many people as possible. Roanoke’s West End neighborhood does not have a full-service grocery store; the LEAP Community Store was opened primarily to expand options for people who live in the West End community.
Courtesy of LEAP
“We are striving to make the LEAP Community Store a one-stop shop for food needs, while at the same time focusing on local and regionally produced foods,” says LEAP Director of Programs Kelly Key.
But this store is for everyone. By opening a store, LEAP is able to offer local fruits and vegetables to the greater Roanoke community for many more hours than our farmers markets and mobile market can. With the addition of the LEAP Community Store, LEAP doubles the hours that customers can purchase fresh local food in a given week. Along with increased access for shoppers, comes increased support for farmers. The more local food shoppers buy, the more income and stability for the farmers and food producers LEAP purchases from.
Shoppers will find shelves of local and regional fruits and vegetables, milk, cheeses, eggs, meat, grains, breads, jams, salsa and spices. These items are labeled (and color-coded) “local” (purple; meaning within 100 miles), “regional” (green; meaning within 300 miles). Affordable non-local items (such as vegetable oil, salt, pepper, crackers, rice, sugar and pasta) are stocked to allow all customers to purchase ingredients needed in preparing a nutritious meal. The store may carry, for example, local flour at a higher price (this supports local farmers) alongside non-local flour at a lower price (this gives shoppers more choices).
LEAP’s farmers markets will still be the best place to find the widest variety of local goods, including craft items, flowers and specialty foods.
Shoppers can also purchase soups, hummuses and sauces cooked in LEAP’s processing kitchen. These items provide another way to make local food accessible to shoppers, who may not have the kitchen space or cooking skills to prepare meals from fresh produce.
The store is the most recent program begun by LEAP. LEAP also runs Grandin Village Farmers Market, West End Farmers Market, the LEAP Mobile Market, LEAP Farm Share, a shared commercial kitchen and a newly opened processing kitchen. LEAP’s current relationships with farmers and small food businesses make opening a food store a natural progression of the work the nonprofit already does.
The LEAP Community Store will accept cash and credit cards, SNAP/EBT (once the approval process is complete), as well as market tokens and LEAP-issued Market and Harvest Bucks. SNAP shoppers receive 50 percent off their purchases of fruits and vegetables, thanks to Virginia Fresh Match. LEAP fundraises separately to offer 50 percent off fruits and vegetables to Medicaid and WIC customers.
The LEAP Community Store was created thanks to a combination of funding sources, including a $2.5 million American Rescue Plan Act grant awarded by the City of Roanoke, which funded the purchase and renovation of The LEAP Hub, and a $50,000 Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services grant, which helped cover equipment and infrastructure expenses. The Roanoke Co+op has also generously given of their equipment and expertise over the last year.
Find more information about the LEAP Community Store on our website: https://www.leapforlocalfood.org/retail-store. Local farmers or food producers interested in selling wholesale to LEAP can find information at: https://www.leapforlocalfood.org/food-hub
For questions about the store’s Grand Opening, contact Communications Manager Christina Nifong at christina@leapforlocalfood.org or 540-632-1657.
About LEAP
Local Environmental Agriculture Project (LEAP) is a Roanoke-based 501c3 nonprofit. Founded in 2009, LEAP strives to nurture equitable food and farming systems that prioritize health and abundance. LEAP programs include two farmers markets, a mobile market, a farm share, a food hub, a retail store, a commercial kitchen, a processing kitchen, three community gardens, and robust food access programs. LEAP is a fiscal sponsor for the Roanoke Foodshed Network, a community of partners from across the region working together on initiatives that promote farmers, food access, and local food systems. LEAP is also the fiscal sponsor for Virginia Fresh Match, a statewide network of farmers markets and retail stores that make fruits and vegetables more affordable for SNAP participants. Learn more about LEAP at leapforlocalfood.org, Roanoke Foodshed Network at roanokefoodshednetwork.org, and Virginia Fresh Match at VirginiaFreshMatch.org.