The Guelph Student Foodbank is finding innovative ways to deal with the rising cost of fresh produce. After having a large amount of success with their outdoor garden this summer—where many fresh greens, fresh vegetables, and fresh herbs, including kale, chard, collard greens, were grown—the Foodbank has decided to invest one step further into urban agriculture by building an indoor garden. The indoor garden will be established by the end of the winter semester, and will serve as a supplement to the pre-existing summer outdoor garden.
The Foodbank is hoping to involve members of the community who have urban agricultural knowledge, as well as students who are passionate about growing their own food, in order to make the process as participatory as possible.
Food costs are set to rise again this year, and a recent article published by CBC News describes the volatility of food prices.
The articles states that: “Since 81 per cent of all vegetables and fruit consumed in Canada are imported, they are highly vulnerable to currency fluctuations. They are pegged to increase in price by four to 4.5 per cent in the new year.”
In order to accommodate these fluctuations, coupled with the ever rising costs of tuition and increased food bank visitors, having a sustainable source of fresh vegetables will be one way to improve the nutritional security of those who access the Foodbank. Ongoing food education workshops, including cooking classes and canning workshops, are also set to take place this year, as a tool to empower those who would like to learn more about healthy eating and basic cooking techniques.
Additionally, fundraising efforts have garnered an incredible amount of support from the Guelph community and have started important conversations about the relevance of an on-campus food bank. Past initiatives include a Buffalo Wild Wings fundraiser as well as a largely successful on-campus bake sale.
“I think it’s really important to have these conversations about structural issues but one of our aims is to also create connections and partnerships in the community, so that we can work collaboratively with other on-campus groups” said a University of Guelph student and Foodbank volunteer, when asked about the importance of doing fundraisers.
In the future, the Foodbank will be collaborating with Hospitality Services to hold various food-related fundraisers throughout the year, with one portion or all proceeds going towards supporting the Foodbank.
Different on-campus groups, namely the Biomedical Students Association, the Ontario Veterinary College, and Universities Fighting World Hunger, have been incredible allies in helping to meet the Foodbank’s fundraising goals for the year. Perhaps the most innovative ideas of all, however, are the conversations that are started by linking food access, barriers, and economic security to each other. In an effort to provide a more holistic understanding and support of food security initiatives, the Guelph Wellington Task Force for Poverty Elimination (PTF) has created multiple infographics on what it means to be food insecure in the Guelph region.
A report released by the Guelph Wellington PTF suggests that, in order to account for loans, home payments, saving for the future, as well as healthcare and emergency costs, the living wage should at least be $15.95 per hour, highlighting the vast discrepancy between our current minimum wage and what is needed to live with lower economic insecurity.
With the rising cost of living, innovation in the emergency food provider realm has become a necessity. With the creation of The Seed, a community food hub, and over 20 emergency food services in the region, Guelph has become a thriving spot to invest in, and learn about food security issues.