The Union des producteurs agricoles (UPA), Québec’s largest farm organization, has proudly launched the Mangeons local plus que jamais! (eat local more than ever) app, in collaboration with Caisses populaires Desjardins. This new tool is supposed to make it easy to identify farms, markets and processors in Québec that sell directly to the public. It allows users to develop a route to follow so they can stock up on items closest to home or plan a gourmet trip to discover the attractions of a region.
The app is a follow-up to the Mangeons local plus que jamais! campaign launched in April 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. At that time, the UPA provided the contact information for approximately 1,000 producers on the Le Panier Bleu platform that promotes shopping local across Québec. The UPA also posted 50 video testimonials on social media, inviting consumers to visit farms in Québec.
The Mangeons local plus que jamais! app offers an improved user experience with more comprehensive information. Users will be able to activate the geolocation of their device to find nearby producers, designate their favorite placesm and create personalized routes by car or bicycle. After their visit, they will be invited to leave a comment on the sheet of the producers they met.
By browsing the blog articles, users will learn more about the agri-food sector and agri-tourism in the various regions of Québec. Recipes and tips for preserving and processing food will also be on the menu. In addition, notifications will keep users abreast of the harvest schedule based on which foods are in season.
An online store is also available in the app for those who want to display their caps, t-shirts, masks, and aprons for sale.
The app was developed quickly and the UPA hopes it will be heavily used by people on vacations. The app will continue to evolve over the coming weeks with the addition of more routes, blog articles, videos, and notifications. Many producers have already signed up and several more sheets will be added soon. The app can be downloaded now from Google Play and will be available in the App Store shortly as well. In addition, the Web version will be available in a week’s time at mangeonslocal.upa.qc.ca.
