Local Love Series: Gathering Place Trading

Welcome to our first Local Love Series! Where we’ll be talking to small business owners, female founders and industry leaders all within the realm of health, wellness, community and good vibes.

The idea of this series stemmed from our Founder, Shani’s own curiosity and willingness to inspire a life of wellness and gratitude through the thoughts and ideas of those closest to us. We’ll also introduce some new friends to hOMe Grown as we share some Local Love this summer season!

lovena gathering place
Lovena & Shani in the kitchen where all the magic happens!

1. Tell us about your brand and what you specialize in?

We specialize in direct sourcing with authentic partners to bring in the very best ingredients that can be found anywhere! Our organic spices, teas, sea salt and dried fruits come from family or cooperative farms in Canada and throughout the world, many of which we meet face to face to establish a direct relationship.

We inspect for environmental and social integrity, and only purchase the very best products we find, favouring family or cooperative farms. If a product grows in Canada, we source it here, and proudly offer a selection of Canadian Grown products.

We founded GPT with this mission of “farmer-direct”, creating more transparency in our global food system, and sharing this with our customers. Our vision of ‘Farmer to Family, for Love of the Earth’ guarantees the highest quality, freshest and most ethically produced food in the world.

The family Mango tree in South Africa

2. What is your WHY?

To nourish our customers, family and friends with the very best!

Awesome spices elevate every meal. Authentic teas make mornings a pleasure. Pure Sea Salt is essential for our health and well being. Un sulphured dried fruits are healthy treats. We are a brand that can be trusted to feed your family WELL!!

3. What is your favourite homemade meal?

Dhal and rice. The Dhal is loaded with Gathering Place spices – Turmeric, Brown Mustard Seed, Hot curry powder, Cumin Seeds, Ginger Powder, Black Pepper – and our Antarctic Pure Sea Salt of course! I add Kelp to the rice, to round out the trace minerals in the meal and provide a lovely green flecking.

4. What keeps you motivated on a daily basis?

Walks in the forest, hugs from my family, growing food in the garden, making food loaded with goodness and some form of intentional movement like yoga or dancing.

Sourcing turmeric at a farm in India

5. Out of all your products, which is your favourite and why? 

Hard question! I love and use daily a myriad of our products.  Right now I’m super stoked on our Smoked Chili Flakes. They accompany me to the table at every meal and are so versatile – eggs, wraps, soups – you name it, Smoked Chili Flakes can go in it!

6. How do you nourish your body?

Walking 10,000 steps a day, eating pure whole foods, no gluten, little sugar and lotsa LOVE. 

7. What words do you live by?

Don’t sweat the small stuff, everything is small stuff.

To learn more about Gathering Place Trading visit their website @ gatheringplacetrading.com

Shop Gathering Place Trading HERE

1 comment

  1. Caroline Maloney says:

    This is exciting, Shani, and exactly what is needed for our true nourishment and the good of Mother Earth! Thank you for supporting small, family (female) operated business/farms and Canadian co-ops!

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