A new, non-profit Facebook page dubbed the Comox Valley $100 Challenge is intended to support Valley farmers as well as the local economy.
Russ Mahy and fellow page administrator Blayne Prowse are hoping 1,000 Valley residents will dedicate a minimum $100 of their monthly grocery budget to local growers and crafters, which over the course of a year could inject $1.2 million into the local economy.
"We're not asking people to spend everything on the local farming industry," Mahy said. "It's going to be too tough for people to go that extreme. For a lot of people it is a big transition."
Mahy and Prowse are not collecting money. Instead, the project is an initiative to generate a shift from standard grocery shopping.
"We're not asking people to spend more or spend any less, we're just asking people to try out what we have locally," Mahy said. "Really, when you look at what we have in the Valley, if you really wanted to you could go 100 per cent local."
As of Tuesday the page had generated nearly 100 likes. Mahy will not be disappointed if it fails to reach the goal of 1,000 likes by Aug. 1.
"I'm happy if 100 people start eating healthier and support their local farmers. To me, any number is a success. It's something that can only grow with time, really."
For more information, visit www.facebook.com/ComoxValley100.
reporter@comoxvalleyrecord.com