Homemade and homegrown

When Sean Gallagher was studying business at university, he started to think about combining his passion for food with his interest in sustainable agriculture. He called his company Terroir Local Source Catering and his first major venture – called Fresh – was at Dalhousie University.

Gallagher offered soups, salads, and sandwiches to students out of a lunch bar at the Grad House. "The idea behind Fresh was to give us a face to the world, and develop some cash flow and relationships with suppliers," he says. "Most importantly we wanted to feed students real food."

Just three years later, Gallagher's small business has grown to include Local Source Market, a restaurant and shop in Halifax specializing in local produce and goods. Seasonal fruits and vegetables, free-range meats, cheeses, organic artisan breads, and homemade food are all on offer. Customers can indulge in pastries, panini, soups, and organic fair trade coffee right on site.

The success of Local Source is the result of a lot of hard work and also offers of help from people who believe in Gallagher's vision of providing tasty, healthy food with an environmental and social conscience. "Right from the inception to the creation of the brick and mortar edifice that we're in now, people stepped up and donated free labour, materials, and talents."

Gallagher's ultimate goal — to offer the mainstream good food that just happens to be local and sustainable — is coming to fruition. He's now working with new farmers, encouraging them to grow a balanced assortment of what Atlantic Canadians need in order to ensure a more consistent and diverse local supply.

"We're committed to helping sustain a vibrant local food economy and connect urban dwellers with rural communities," he says. "We're looking long term for sure."