During the corona pandemic, Daniel Ballo taught Lindseth how to grow vegetables in a friend’s garden.
– I thought “shit, does it require so much work?”. My relationship with food growing became completely different. I understood how much work goes into it.
Four years later, the 37-year-old opens a shop in Trondheim with a focus on local food.
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Online and in store
From 15 June, Trondhjemmer residents will have the opportunity to buy vegetables and meat from local farmers in The Just Store, which has been centrally located at Mellomveien 24 in Lademoen.
Customers can also “click and collect” in the store and get local food directly to the door.
NT24 mentioned the new opening first.
– We envisage delivering most to homes, but we know many people want to come and see and pick out for themselves. Maybe have a coffee. That’s why we also open the doors physically, says Lindseth.
Managing director Daniel Ballo Lindseth.
Photo: Emelie Kjærnli
Teaching away
According to the plan, the store will receive weekly deliveries from farmers throughout Trøndelag.
– Carpooling is best for the environment, points out Lindseth.
The goal is for customers who want goods delivered straight to their home to be able to order directly from the online store and from food delivery apps.
Admittedly, The Just Store will not be “just” a grocery store.
The Just Store is located right next to the “Anders Buens gate” bus stop.
Photo: Emelie Kjærnli
The ambition is to give consumers more understanding of the work farmers do – and for farmers to gain a greater understanding of what consumers are looking for.
– Our user surveys show that most people don’t care if the vegetables look “perfect”, but farmers have to throw away a lot of food because the chains have such strict requirements for how the food should look. This contributes to a lot of unnecessary food waste.
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Less food waste
In 2021, the Norwegian Directorate of Agriculture published a major report on food waste in agriculture, which showed that 46,751 tonnes of vegetables were thrown away during the year.
– It is unnecessary. We hope to be able to counteract that. Optimally, we envisage a subscription solution, so the farmers know roughly exactly what they have to harvest. Then the food can live in the soil until it arrives at your home, says Lindseth.
Part of The Just Store’s work will also be knowledge dissemination.
– We will have courses and conferences here in the store, so we can make both business and customers more aware of how Norwegian food production works and what kind of changes are needed to ensure a more sustainable agriculture.
Photo: Emelie Kjærnli
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Will expand to the whole of Norway
The focus on the environment and sustainability has led to support from several players even before opening.
The shop gets free rent from Trondheim municipality for the first year. The shop team has also brought several experts to the team, such as senior advisor Marit Finnland Trøite in the Norwegian Environment Agency.
Lindseth himself has experience both from a shop and as a business developer, but thinks this is by far the most fun he has worked on.
– I like to solve problems. I think this shop can help both the farmers, the customers and the environment. I have a great team with me, and the concept has been welcomed by the industry with open arms.
Photo: Emelie Kjærnli
The hope is that the store can eventually expand to the rest of Norway and the Nordics.
– I have ADHD, so I have worked on many different projects throughout, but never anything as rewarding and fun as this. Now I finally get to combine all my knowledge in one project, he says smiling.
