Whole Foods holding local producer fair in Lake Norman

Makers of local Whole Foods-type products, listen up: The grocer is inviting local producers to bring their wares for a shot to get on the shelves at the new Lake Norman store.

The new Whole Foods is set to open in the fall at the Northcross Commons Shopping Center on Sam Furr Road. The retailer is interested in fruits, vegetables or food products manufactured in the Lake Norman area.

The local producer meetings with Whole Foods will be May 30. Interested producers have to submit an application (which you do online here). Whole Foods will then contact those who make the first cut and set up meetings.

You have until May 12 to apply. Here's what Whole Foods says they're especially interested in: "Coffee, Beer, Wine, Aged cheeses, Hard Cider, Chocolate, Organic soy yogurt, ethnic foods."

The company has a long list of requirements for the products. They range from "A business license and all required regulatory permits" to "All spices are non-irradiated."

But lest you think you don't have a shot, take heart: Local producer Olive Stewart got her products on the shelves of the SouthPark Whole Foods. Read about how she did it here.