Oakville, Ontario, July 29: A team of five Ontario university students is preparing to launch an innovative online farmers market designed to connect consumers directly with local agricultural producers, offering weekly home delivery of fresh farm products across Halton, Hamilton and Mississauga.
The new platform, called Locado, officially launches on August 2 after a successful pilot program earlier this year that attracted a growing base of regular customers.
Founded by recent Western University graduates Nico Mingorance-Geraldo and Madison Lo, along with fellow students Brayden O’Neil, Tanry Wang, and Prin Intes, the startup was developed with support from Western University’s Entrepreneurship Accelerator through the Morrissette Institute for Entrepreneurship.
Making Local Food More Accessible
The founders say Locado was created to make fresh, locally produced food more accessible for urban residents who may not have the time or opportunity to visit farmers markets or individual farms.
Customers can order a wide selection of products—including fresh fruits and vegetables, locally produced honey, meats, eggs, dairy products, baked goods and pantry staples—through a single online platform.
Orders placed by Sunday evening are delivered directly to customers’ homes by Thursday, providing a convenient alternative to traditional grocery shopping.
Inspired by Personal Experience
The idea for Locado grew from the personal experiences of co-founder Nico Mingorance-Geraldo, who spent his childhood on a family farm near Hamilton.
After his family’s rural home was destroyed by fire, they relocated to the city, where he found it difficult to access the same quality of fresh, locally produced food he had grown up enjoying.
That experience inspired him to develop a platform that bridges the gap between Ontario farmers and urban consumers.
“We realized many people want fresh local food, but they don’t have the time to research farms or drive long distances to buy it,” Mingorance-Geraldo said.
Supporting Local Farmers
Locado currently partners with approximately 15 local farms and food producers, with plans to expand to about 25 suppliers during the peak harvest season.
According to the founders, every participating producer is personally evaluated before joining the platform.
The team says it focuses on products that are locally grown and either organic or produced using near-organic farming practices while emphasizing quality and sustainable production.
The founders also handle product distribution themselves through a warehouse located in Mississauga.
Technology Meets Agriculture
Using their backgrounds in software engineering and business development, the students built Locado’s online ordering system from the ground up.
The digital marketplace is intended to simplify shopping by allowing consumers to purchase products from multiple local farms in a single order, eliminating the need to visit several different producers.
The founders hope the platform will strengthen local food systems while providing smaller farms with greater access to customers.
Expansion Plans
Although Locado initially serves Halton, Hamilton and Mississauga, the founders envision expanding throughout Southern Ontario and eventually into other major Canadian cities, including Calgary, Montreal and Vancouver.
They hope the venture will grow from a university startup into a full-time business supporting both consumers and local agricultural producers.
Community Launch Event
To celebrate the official launch, the founders will host “Oakville’s Biggest Picnic” on Sunday, August 2, at Oakville Towne Square.
The free community event will feature live music, a food truck, local vendors, farm-to-table products and family-friendly activities, while giving residents an opportunity to meet some of the producers participating on the Locado platform.
The initiative reflects a growing trend toward supporting local agriculture and shortening the distance between farms and consumers through digital innovation.