Vital

Joan Pennefather, president of the County Community Foundation calls for funding and volunteers to enable the organization make real progress in addressing the challenges revealed in the Vital Signs report.

Community working groups find some solutions to food problems

For two years, the County Community Foundation has been organizing and facilitating three groups to examine the state of food insecurity in Prince Edward County. The Vital Signs working groups have looked at the state of transportation, education and food accessibility.

was to find ways to improve access to food in a region where, despite an abundance of farmland, more than 10 per cent of residents don’t have enough to eat.

With the input of those community service workers who see the problem first-hand, the working group focused on food has implemented a few programs, with more on the way.

Ruth Ingersoll, executive director of the Community Development Council of Quinte, is a regular member of this group.

“There’s a lot of food out there that we have heard over the years has gone to waste. We’ve heard from gardeners, we’ve heard from farmers that said, ‘oh I had a field of corn and I had nothing to do with it and I didn’t know where to give it so I ploughed it under,’” says Ingersoll. “Well, if we’ve got that food that we can put back into the community and into people’s mouths then that’s the best.”

Ingersoll says the CDC has helped implement programs in Belleville and areas north that are now being used the County.

Two of those programs, Fresh for All, which the Times reported about recently, and the Good Food Box, have already started to have an effect in the County.

Fresh for All is a regional brand of the Grow a Row movement, which is implemented across the country. Farmers, gardeners and even homeowners can dedicate one row from their field or garden to grow food for the community. As soon as the food can be picked, it is delivered to designated food distributors.

In the County, there are four distribution points. In Wellington, the Storehouse food bank already has 13 people from Wellington, Hillier, Bloomfield and Rosehall growing fresh food for its needs. In Picton, the United Church food bank, along with the Salvation Army and Food not Bombs also collect fresh food to share with those who need it.

Linda Downey, who heads Storehouse, says that most of the food will be delivered as fresh as possible. But that doesn’t mean anything will go to waste.

Downey hopes that new lawn signs being prepared for those growing—similar to the ‘Bee friendly’ signs seen throughout the County—will help advertise and encourage more people to participate in the project.

The Good Food Box and its partner program, the Good Baby Box, is a program the CDC runs directly. It offers families the opportunity to purchase healthful items at heavily discounted prices by buying food directly from suppliers and skipping grocery stores. Once a month, families can order a box or a bag of nutritious food and baby supplies for between $5 and $15.

This year, the County opened two hubs to pick up boxes, one in the Picton at the Hub childcare centre, and the other at Hillier Hall, through Rosemary Istead, who is also a volunteer at the food bank. Istead hopes to see the program grow, and is seeking more volunteers and a truck to help deliver the food to those who can’t travel far.

The Good Food Box, like Fresh for All, provides the opportunity for food education, within community kitchens. Istead says once the program becomes popular enough, Hillier Hall’s kitchen will provide a place for those picking up a box to learn to prepare meals using the ingredients in the box. The CDC can offer funding for the program.

“Programs are coming to people instead of expecting people to come to programs,” says Ingersoll. “We’re hoping that… churches or organizations can take that and jumpstart, and maybe be doing a monthly community kitchen with people in their own neighbourhood. So people aren’t leaving their neighbourhood, and they have a place to go.”

Many other programs were introduced at a Vital Signs report, called Moving Forward Together, presented on Monday in Bloomfield.

Joan Pennefather, head of the County Community Foundation, concluded the meeting with a call for volunteers.

“This is a community based effort,” Pennefather said. “Bringing everyone together to solve jointly the problems that we’re facing, I think, is one of the key components of our action. To make it real. To make it really last.”

To learn more about Vital Signs and get involved, go to countycommunityfoundation.ca and find the report under the Vital Signs tab.