Anyone who has dragged groceries home in a cart or on a bus will appreciate the importance of having a supermarket nearby. But this is 2013. Why settle for merely close when people can order groceries from the convenience of their own homes – in bed if they choose, via computer, cell phone or any device with Internet access? Imagine fruits and vegetables, prime cuts of meat and baked goods, all locally produced, all fresh, even organic, delivered right to your door.

That is what MyMaritimeMarket.ca – a website that lists food products from the more than 250 farmers who sell at the Halifax Seaport Farmers’ Market – is offering, says co-founder and director Mandhir Singh. With an expected start date of mid-August 2013, the new service will be available first in Halifax and Amherst, and expand from there.

Since many of the farmers’ booths at Seaport market are open only a few days a week and getting downtown during these hours can be difficult, shopping online for local food makes sense. The virtual supermarket will also accept most types of credit and bank cards, something many vendors at Seaport can’t do.

The online market serves other important functions, explains Singh, a Saint Mary’s University MBA student, who has done extensive research for the project. One of the most important roles of MyMaritimeMarket.ca is that it will cut down on food waste. “Twenty-five per cent of what farmers produce is wasted,” he says. “Some of that unsold product is used by production and manufacturing companies, but much of it is just thrown out.”

Other services in the area offer fresh, local products, but don’t offer choices. Food items are shipped according to availability, but with MyMaritimeMarket.ca, customers will be able to choose exactly what they want, says Singh.

It’s not just consumers they’re seeking to reach. Many institutions that have cafeterias and prepare food for residents will be able to use MyMaritimeMarket.ca and ensure they’re serving the freshest available food from local producers.

By Cathi Stevenson