Fresh produce delivery alternative
As a student living off campus, meal planning is crucial in allowing me to stretch funds and stay healthy. The Garden Fresh Box is the kind of grocery solution I’ve learned to look for when I move to a new place because it enables me to create healthy, regular options for restricted diets every day.
The main goal of this program and all projects under The SEED’s management is to reduce food insecurity and improve community relationships over food. Regular pop-up Community Food Markets are hosted around the city on a rotating weekly schedule for those who would prefer to hand select items rather than get a pre-sorted box of all healthy produce items.
Photo by Jude Keefe
The Dublin Street United Church Food Security and Sustainability speaker series kicked off with a local focus on Oct. 23. At the event, Gavin Dandy, an entrepreneurial farmer at the nearby Everdale Farm, explained the multi-dimensional scope of the six unique social enterprise projects managed by The SEED throughout Guelph and Wellington County. While other initiatives like the Youth Farm and Souper Heroes have emerged through dedication by Dandy and the team behind this social enterprise, the Garden Fresh Box distribution system has recently changed hands to become part of this unified strategy on tackling food insecurity. It was created by the Guelph Community Health Centre network around a decade ago, and has since become a trusted option for a food secure solution to high prices and a further increase in imported food. Dandy explained that when the project was adopted by The SEED a few years ago, this food-first community organization was able to expand the scope of its impact to include more pick-up locations and funding sources. Nominal payments allow the program to reduce dependence on government grant funding, providing lasting stability for those who rely on this evolving program.
Pricing is designed to be on a sliding scale at 30 to 50 per cent reduced from typical grocery prices, to encourage all members of the community to participate in a farmers’ market-style shopping experience and to encourage the purchase of vegetables, especially those grown locally. Produce is sourced primarily through local distribution networks, including items grown beyond Guelph, but with the intention of featuring local growers as supply and pricing allows. This program is currently managed by The SEED, with source funding rooted in United Way partnerships in Guelph striving to improve food access to Guelph citizens. It was created by the Guelph Community Health Centre network around a decade ago, and has since become a trusted option for a food secure solution to high prices and increasingly imported supermarket food. Similar to a seasonal CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) prepaid arrangement with a single farm, the order is made in advance to plan the harvest accordingly, reducing oversupply that can lead to food waste. Such programs exist throughout North America and are designed to feature a variety of produce items in stock. Garden Fresh Box operates similarly, with a diligent team organizing items from all kinds of sources into the required number of boxes. These are distributed to pick-up locations throughout the region on the third Wednesday of each month. Twelve pick-up places are in Guelph as well as one each in Fergus and Cambridge.
I was drawn to the Garden Fresh Box as a way to experience local food resources on a student budget. I ordered it again because of the great client experience I had the first time and because the items are easy to use in regular cooking. Potatoes so easily become home fries while carrots and broccoli are a quick steam away from a side dish. Of course, there are always too many onions — creative soups and pickle makers could benefit from any extra onions!
These alternative produce distribution methods intrigue me, especially when made convenient and affordable. In fact, in researching Guelph earlier this year I learned about The SEED, Guelph’s Community Food Project organization, and their work dedicated to tackling food insecurity. Experiencing it in person was a treat.
October’s order featured a diverse selection of Ontario-sourced local items:
- Apples (approximately 5x)
- Carrots (1 bag)
- Broccoli (2 bunches)
- Mushrooms (approximately 1/2 pound)
- Onions (1 bag)
- Yellow potatoes (10 small to medium)
- Tomatoes (2)
- Zucchini (1 large)
- Rainbow chard (1 bunch, organic)
Additionally, items sourced from beyond Ontario were included to round out a normal produce purchase with:
- Oranges (3)
- Bananas (3)
- Lettuce (1 large head, from Que.)
- Avocado (2)
My order also came with a newsletter detailing the items included (ensuring I was collecting what I had paid for), some recipe suggestions, and details about placing the next order in time for delivery.
How to handle a month’s worth of produce delivered at the same time:
- Take half an hour to organize new items in your fridge. Does anything need to be cut or portioned to fit? Handle these items first. (I have had to do this with large cauliflower and lettuce).
- Identify any items that might spoil first (either existing items in your crisper drawer, or fragile items from the box). Place these at the front or on top so they’ll be used first.
- Plan a meal using these fragile items as inspiration. A stir-fry is a reliable strategy to quickly salvage most produce items before they become wasted food.
Map by Jude Keefe