Affordable produce has never been more accessible to Airdrie residents.
With inflation on the rise and more people struggling to make ends meet, small business owners are offering alternative ways for local consumers to access quality produce for better rates than big-box stores.
Ruben’s Veggies, a family-owned farm based out of Redcliff, operates self-serve “veggie barns” throughout southern Alberta, including Airdrie. Located in the business complex on the corner of Yankee Valley Blvd and 8th Street N.W., the veggie barn is open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and won’t close for the season until December.
“We have a very long season because we’re mainly greenhouse-grown produce,” says co-owner Chloe Veurink. “We do seasonal vegetables as well, like potatoes, onions, carrots — pretty much everything you can grow in Alberta, we grow.”
Farm-fresh eggs are available to purchase at the veggie barn, as well as a variety of vegetables, including lettuce, cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes. Veurink recommends trying the cherry tomatoes as they are known for their unique, candy-like taste.
“There’s no cashier in there. You just go in, grab your produce and there’s a self-serve checkout system at the front of the store. That really helps us remain affordable,” she says.
“When you’re harvesting for grocery stores, you’re actually picking underripe because it has such a long time to get to the shelf. With us, we harvest, package and deliver all within a 24-hour period. And we deliver two to three times a week. You get a very premium product at an affordable price.”
BulkBuy Produce opened in Airdrie in the fall of 2024, and co-owner Mohamed Azeez says the main focus of the business is to give back to the community through offering lower prices on a variety of fruits and vegetables.
“What we are trying to do is bring in the highest grade of quality produce like every big-box store,” says Azeez. “We’re bringing that same quality product in, but we’re keeping a lower margin on it so that we offer the customers a reduced price.
“We also deal with direct distributors where we pick up on a lot of these rejects from big-box stores.”
This includes imperfect produce that may be slightly bruised or oddly shaped and would otherwise go to waste.
“We bring them in at a really good price and we offer that to the customers,” says Azeez. “If you don’t want the No. 1-quality grade, we do have a second grade for a reduced price.”
Fresh Pick Cash and Carry opened in the summer of 2024 to serve the growing Indian population in Airdrie and offers reduced rates on produce as well, says store manager Jaswinder Kaur.
“It’s mostly an Indian store, with Indian spices and lentils, but also with a variety of affordable produce,” says Kaur. “We try to give produce at reasonable prices for every community — not just the Indian community.”
She says most of the store’s produce is from British Columbia, California and India. Some of the most popular items are mandarins, grapes, avocadoes, mangoes and strawberries.
“The quality is really good and the prices, as well,” says Kaur. “And it’s a friendly environment — a family environment. You will feel like you’re home.”
