One of the biggest challenges for people who want to shop local is that the prices at farmers’ markets and other local stores are often higher than those at large supermarkets. In North Carolina, two new stores are trying to make it easier and cheaper to shop locally. It’s a new spin on farm-to-table: a store that seems to connect farms and shopping carts. Designed by a veteran combat engineer Ben Greene, the Farmery is a “living building” that will start out in downtown Durham and Clayton, N.C. With hydroponic vertical growing systems right on site, as well as local foods from other nearby producers, the store has a business model geared toward lower prices and an educational model that will help food buyers learn about the process and benefits of locally sourced foods.
[Image: Farmery]