One local business is trying to improve the way people see food.

Recently, there's been a growing concern for the way food is grown, produced and prepared. Many people are becoming more conscientious about what they feed themselves and their growing families.

That's where Cape Locally Grown comes in.

"We're a group of local farms, craftspeople and businesses marketing together," coordinator Lance Green said.

Cape Locally Grown began last year after the farmers market season. Green said his company is a "local food hub."

"[It's like] a connection point for local growers and artisans and customers," he said. "We're like an online farmers market, open year-round, with one place to go online to see and order products from local growers, one convenient delivery point and one check or cash to pay a consolidated invoice."

The group's online selection has a variety of products, from alpaca-felted fiber insoles to filet mignon. Green said their most popular items are eggs, meats, breads, vegetables and artisan goods.

Since the beginning, Cape Locally Grown has focused on expanding. Green said delivering to Cape Girardeau has been part of their vision since they moved back to the area nine years ago. Since then, their goal has been to connect with customers as simply and easily as possible.

The way it works is by visiting cape.locallygrown.net and ordering products until 5 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday. Then Cape Locally Grown delivers to an area location for customers to pick up the items they ordered.

Green said for now, they're working on growing their supplies to meet the demand.

"Right now, since our limited supply is growing, we are focused on taking care of families looking for good food ... the hard-core farmers market customer who wishes farmers markets lasted all year long," he said.

There are 20 customers with Cape Locally Grown, but Green hopes summer business will increase.

Green credited Cape Locally Grown's success to the transparency they provide between customers and products.

"I think there's uneasiness and concern about our present industrialized food system," he said. "People are losing the connection to how our food is grown, and there is more awareness of the relationship between health and food. Each time we have a food recall or a scientific study comes out about the effects of GMOs (genetically modified organisms), the public reaches out, looking for real answers. Local food will grow in importance as our country's financial outlook grows darker and existing food channels struggle to meet customer demands of healthier, fresher food."

smaue@semissourian.com

388-3644