LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. — With two canceled weddings due to COVID-19, the owners of Lancaster Local Provisions took the money they saved to get married, to start their own business.
Now, Gabriel Lubar and Chef Diana Egnatz are on a mission to help families shop locally and cook seasonally.
It all starts when a seed finds its' home beneath the earth's surface, later growing into the fruits and vegetables that fill our dinner plates. Many of which, are grown in Lancaster County.
"If we could all make small choices, it can really help the environment and we’d be more sustainable as a society," Egnatz said.
They are working together to change the way people shop for local produce and goods. It's where farmer's market meets online grocery shopping and weekly home delivery.
“Small market box is eight items...so a produce item would be a head of lettuce, a thing of strawberries, a bunch of asparagus. Then we have our provisions box, which they get organic eggs in addition to that," Egnatz said.
It's pretty simple. You sign up, shop for fresh weekly produce and goods from local makers, and then they deliver everything right to your door.
“We don’t want to be buying produce shipped thousands of miles away that was picked a week ago because it loses its nutritional value," Egnatz said. "So, I am never going to have tomatoes in our market place in February because that’s not the season for them in Lancaster County, and we live in Lancaster County."
Lancaster Local Provisions is not just about making it easier for people to shop locally—they also have a goal to teach people how to cook seasonally, year round.
“So, every week members get five seasonal recipes and she’s teaching our members what to do with our amazing local Lancaster seasonal produce," Lubar said.
By connecting farms with families, they aren't here to replace grocery stores. They are here to add a fresh alternative while supporting local farms and makers that make our region special.
In regards to shopping for produce at grocery stores, “The question is ‘Why?’ Why are we choosing to eat food that’s grown thousands of miles away?" Lubar asked.
Egnatz agreed, saying why not spend a little extra on a beautiful head of lettuce that was grown in Lancaster County that looks amazing and tastes more delicious?
They say small changes like buying local produce can help the environment and the community become a more sustainable society.
“If people would give our service a try, the convenience is amazing, the flexibility is amazing," Egnatz said.
Lancaster Local Provisions works with 100 local sustainable farms. Right now, they only deliver on Wednesdays to most of Lancaster County, but they hope to expand that soon.
You can learn more about Lancaster Local Provisions online.