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Guelph food bank leads the way for fresh produce

Backyard Bounty provides food bank with donations of fresh, seasonal produce

By Karla Schaus, University of Guelph Agricultural Communications Student, for Farms.com

Any mention of food banks generally conjures up images of canned soup and other non-perishable items. But this stereotype is precisely the image that a new non-profit initiative called Backyard Bounty wants to change.

Recently, Backyard Bounty partnered with the food bank in Guelph, Ontario to provide the city’s food bank with donations of fresh, seasonal produce. That’s consistent with the group’s credo, which is to fight hunger and promote healthy eating through access to nutritious fruits and vegetables, and healthy alternatives to non-perishable items.

Organizers at Backyard Bounty see the inherent value and benefits of fresh, locally grown produce. Methods of agricultural production elsewhere are not always known, and the produce itself may endure lengthy travel times.

Farming within the local community may avoid these practices.  Backyard Bounty is seeking participation from farmers who have extra space for planting, anyone with a garden, or newcomers interested in planting. The program provides training and education, and offers installation of a garden.

For those who are unable to commit their backyard, the food bank offers volunteers the opportunity to work in the on-site community garden, or in the warehouse that is open year-round.

Organizers at the food bank can see the long-term benefits for the community.

“Providing local people with nutritionally sound produce is the first step in motivating members of the community to become self-sufficient so that they can eventually stand on their own, without the help of the organization,” says Tracy Marchesich, Community Liaison Facilitator with the Guelph Food Bank.  

It’s a timely initiative. Factors such as disability, low income and increasing housing costs means a greater need than ever before exists for donations. Hunger in Ontario affects hundreds of thousands of people annually. More than 40 per cent of adults in the province cannot afford to eat balanced meals each week.

With that in mind, volunteers are being sought now to help grow produce for donations to the Guelph Food Bank. The partnership with Backyard Bounty will provide incentives such as sponsorship and tax credits, to encourage community members to apply.

Many members of the community use the food bank as a means of subsidizing their groceries. Over 21,600 people, such as Eileen, are supported from using the food bank annually.

“My husband was working full time, I had to take a sick leave, and even though I had sick benefits, one of the medications that I was taking was $968 a month. So if the food bank wasn’t here and helping us out, it would’ve been a choice between food or medication that saved my life,” she says.

Organizers at the food bank predict that there will be a larger number of patrons who rely on this outlet in 2015. This has caused a greater need for volunteers to grow produce for donation to meet demand.

For more information on volunteer opportunities with Backyard Bounty, please visit www.backyardbounty.ca

To become involved with the Guelph Food Bank, call 519-767-1380.

For more information about Backyard Bounty in Guelph or elsewhere in Canada: http://www.backyardbounty.ca/.

Karla Schaus is an undergraduate student currently studying at the University of Guelph. Karla grew up in a beautiful rural area with the freshest food that anyone could ever imagine. Karla believes that she has seen all aspects of where our food comes from, from farm to fork. She enjoys learning about various aspects of agriculture from a journalistic standpoint. This article is part of Karla’s course work for the University of Guelph agricultural communications course, instructed by Prof. Owen Roberts.


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