[Granville Island Market. Image courtesy of pnoeric, Flickr.]

Summertime calls for long nights on the patio, delectable picnic fare and trips to sample the goods at your favourite markets! These favourite summertime pastimes inspired us to scour the Web for some cutting edge dining experienes and grocery vending concepts launching across the continent. Here's our roundup of the top 5 innovative food purveyors in North America.

Grocery mart with aisles of jarred goods and wicker baskets. Other aisles behind. Do you know where your food comes from? One study estimated that in North America, a basic meal travels 2,400 km to get to our dinner table. However, eating locally reduces the distance food needs to travel and the level of emissions and pollution released into the air before it can be put onto our tables. There is also a myriad of benefits to eating locally- not just cleaner air.