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La Jolla resident Caroline Driehaus is the founder of Navore Market, akin to a virtual farmers market. (Navore Market)<\/p>\nBy blending the convenience of online shopping with direct access to local farmers, a new digital platform created by a La Jolla resident brings new meaning to the phrase \u201cadd to cart.\u201d<\/p>\n
Navore Market, akin to a virtual farmers market, was launched earlier this year to \u201cprovide a convenient online marketplace that connects users to fresh local produce directly from local farmers and producers,\u201d according to founder Caroline Driehaus, who moved to La Jolla five years ago.<\/p>\n
The business\u2019s name comes from the old Norse prefix \u201cna,\u201d meaning \u201cnear,\u201d and \u201cvore,\u201d meaning \u201cone who eats.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thirteen local producers currently on the marketplace offer a range from seasonal produce to pantry items. Some offer delivery to communities including La Jolla.<\/p>\n
To use Navore Market, customers enter their address on the website and find local farmers and producers who serve their area, Driehaus said. From there, they choose a farmer to order from and assemble a cart with what is available, as they would in a grocery store. Then customers can schedule delivery if offered or arrange a pickup date and location.<\/p>\n
Some producers have order minimums, but there is no fee or subscription required to shop the platform.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe way local farmers grow their food, they have different rounds of produce based on the season,\u201d Driehaus said. \u201cProduce loses nutritional value when it is stored and shipped from a long distance. The taste and quality are there [with locally sourced produce] and you can get a variety you might not find at the store.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, she said, most local producers are accessible only at farmers markets, so Navore Market provides a convenient alternative for people seeking one.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought local foods should be more accessible and shopping for it should be more convenient and flexible,\u201d Driehaus said. \u201cThere is such a difference when you think about shopping at a grocery store that could have come from another country compared to produce that\u2019s grown a few miles away. This creates more convenient options to fit in your schedule.\u201d<\/p>\n
La Jolla resident Caroline Driehaus is the founder of Navore Market, akin to a virtual farmers market. (Navore Market)<\/p>\n
Navore Market is in talks with \u201ca lot more producers\u201d about joining the platform, she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m so excited about it. I\u2019m excited to share it with people and share their excitement, and for the producers to find more customers,\u201d Driehaus said. \u201cEveryone that has been a part is enthusiastic.\u201d<\/p>\n
Driehaus grew up in Chicago and would frequent farmers markets in her youth. Her mother was always encouraging her and her siblings \u201cto eat healthy,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Driehaus moved to attend the University of San Diego on a pre-med pathway.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I saw the amazing farmers markets here, it was inspiring for me,\u201d she said. \u201cBut I wasn\u2019t able to purchase their products as much as I wanted to because I was busy. I wanted a site like [Navore Market] to exist.\u201d<\/p>\n
But finding nothing like it, she created one.<\/p>\n
\u201cI took a little bit of a break before applying to med school, but all I could think about was this idea, so I got sucked into the research [and] I created the business plan,\u201d Driehaus said.<\/p>\n
She said her next step is to add more farmers and producers to reach more San Diego-area neighborhoods.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re going to continue to do what we can to serve as many people as we can,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n