Category Archives: Local Produce

Halifax Guide to Local International Food Stores

vLife Blog. Halifax Guide: Small Local International Food Stores. Written by Sarah van Achte. Globe cut in half with fresh peppers, an avocado, tomatoes, and fresh lettuce in between the two halves.

Hey again! We all have heard of Gateway by now, living in and around Nova Scotia. It is inarguably the most well-known independent grocery store in Nova Scotia. But did you know there are others? Today, I’m going to highlight different independent grocery stores that are focused on international food. For all of you adventurous […]

The Many Benefits of Buying Local

Friends happily looking online together in a local cafe. vLife Blog The Many Benefits of Buying Local

We’ve been hearing more and more about the benefits of buying local lately. And we’re one of the steadfast contributors to this important conversation here at vLife. Why? Because research has shown that by buying locally sourced products, you’re supporting your fellow community members, growing your local economy, and reducing your carbon footprint. So, it […]

Sustainable Grocery Shopping: What You Can Do to Help

Sustainable Grocery Shopping vLife Blog reusable produce bag

Sustainability is one of the most important issues that the world faces today. As our use of plastics increase to astronomical amounts, we are observing how our harmful use of plastics can contaminate not just our environments, but every single microbial being that inhabits it. Frankly, grocery stores are no exception to this trend. Your […]

vLife’s Top 5 March Break Activities for 2022

vLife Blog Top 5 March Break Activities for 2022 image

Nine whole days of March Break activities… fun for the whooooole family. Yes, it’s that special time of year again… and our third pandemic March Break. The kids are home, you’re too scared of being trapped in a hotel room with your entire family for a week to actually fly anywhere, AND if you have […]

Things to do in Summer for under $100: Top 5

I’m not sure about you, but this recent warm weather has made for pleasant times outdoors – both solo and with family and friends. But guess what? There are many other fun and exciting things to do, that are perfect for summer time. And, these activities or projects make spending time in the summer both […]

Top 10 Holiday Season Traditions, COVID-Style

vLife You Can Do it Holiday Traditions COVID-StyleErin Elaine Casey showing surprised santa

Ah, holiday season traditions. We’ve all got them, whether we like it or not. Getting your s**t together this holiday season is a little more complicated than usual. And let’s be real — you’ve had enough self-improvement for one year. What you need is someone who understands. Someone who gets you. Someone whose holiday observations […]

On local gift baskets and how they saved my holiday bacon

Local Gift Basket curated by vLife writer and passionate buy local supporter Erin Casey

Local gift baskets — and shopping for said baskets — has taught me a lot this holiday season. Mainly that while I seem to be quite good at locating and spending money at small businesses near me, I am NOT very good at actually assembling my haul of local goods into an attractive package. Before […]

Local Small Business Growers Sell Native Nova Scotia Plants

Local small business innovates to make fruit and ornamental trees healthy and affordable! At vLife, we tend to geek out a bit when we find a new opportunity to buy what we need from a local small business. Especially when it means we can support local business in unexpected ways during a pandemic. This fall, […]

Free Delivery & Curbside Pickup: Small Businesses Adapt

While we “Stay the Blazes Home” in Nova Scotia, free delivery and curbside pick-up are playing a vital role in sustaining our communities. It’s impressive how quickly and efficiently small indie businesses are pivoting to keep safely servicing their customers. I’m also heartened by the growing number of community members using these services to support […]

Zero Waste Lifestyle Transition in Halifax

zero waste life transition

A zero waste lifestyle transition can be daunting. There has been a huge shift in the number of reusable bags available at grocery stores over the past few years. This is wonderful, but when we looked at our weekly waste, the majority was still made up of single-use plastic packaging for produce and dry goods. […]