It's My EcoPlace (Local Produce Blog + Directory)

It's My EcoPlace is a planned website for the Kitchener-Waterloo region. Small-scale farmers don't necessarily have the time or resources to advertise or create a website. But consumers ARE looking for locally grown and organic produce. www.itsmyecoplace.ca connects these two groups by creating an online directory of local farms and growers. What makes this site unique, though, is that each directory listing is given a blog on the site, which allows the farmer to "have a website" without actually having one. They can update consumers as to which crops are ready, food prices, or photos.

I think I am the right person to do this because I LOVE small-scale farms and CSA operations. I have been researching and working on the site for 8 months, even learning CSS and HTML! I have completed a business plan, which I submitted to the UWaterloo Nicol competition. This helped me identify potential clients in the area. Now I need to contact them. I will be making sure to contact the farmers face-to-face, since the local community is what the site is about. Overall, I am hoping for this site to help consumers find local produce, and to support local farmers.

Funded by Kitchener-Waterloo (March 2012)