Food For Thought: Saskatchewan Food Banks Provide Agriculture Education

By Karly Rumpel, AAg, Public Trust Specialist, Communications Branch, Tisdale

We know that Saskatchewan food banks already play an incredibly important role in the lives of people across the province. But what if we changed the concept of the food bank to a hub of education, community and food security? Regina and Saskatoon Food Banks are doing just that with their groundbreaking initiatives.

Saskatoon Food Bank

Project Evolve is a three-phase project that will bring Saskatoon Food Bank through organizational development, creating a new facility set to break ground this spring and ensuring a deepened impact for the community it serves. In addition to a larger marketplace, the new facility will also include a greenhouse and Second Chance Kitchen.

“The greenhouse will focus not only on producing new food but bringing the community together through an interactive classroom,” Social Impact Consultant Alison Robertson says. “People’s relationship with food production has a community benefit and has the ability to transform their understanding and relationship with food.”

The Second Chance kitchen will be a commercially licensed kitchen that will take end-of-life food and repurpose it for to food bank clients. Going forward, there is opportunity for the kitchen to become a classroom setting to teach individuals about canning produce in their own homes.

The Saskatoon Food Bank’s new location will reside on an entire city block and will include an engagement garden, outdoor classroom and places for people to gather and bring the community together.

“You don’t always see the impact of your work, but at the food bank we build relationships with our clients,” Robertson reflects. “It’s truly uplifting and energizing work.”

Regina Food Bank

The Community Food Hub is set to open this summer and will serve as Regina Food Bank’s second location and the very first choice model food bank at scale in Canada. Regina Food Bank currently feeds 15,000 people monthly, not only in Regina but in 10 surrounding communities and in collaboration with 123 agency organizations and schools.

“We are in the heart of agriculture in Canada, and we know our food doesn’t come from the grocery store. We want to help our clients understand that,” Evelyn Cerda, Director of Partnership and Innovation with Regina Food Bank, explains. “We have great connections with grocers and now many agriculture organizations. We want to help these organizations tell the story of agriculture and food production.”

The Food Hub will provide programming for clients to learn about nutrition and agriculture, and take-home messaging that will allow the conversation to continue outside the hub. As an example, the school food program feeds 2,000 students every month. Through the Community Food Hub, Regina Food Bank will connect with these and other students to help them learn more about where their food comes from, the food system and finances.

The Food Hub also goes beyond education and will include a community component to revitalize the area—offering a basketball court, playground, and areas for the community to gather. The new choice-based model plays a large part in community engagement and is a way to make a positive change towards empowerment-based food distribution.

“Choice is dignity,” says Cerda.

“Food hampers have been great for our clients, but our goal with this innovative model is to reduce stigma and barriers by creating an environment where the people we serve can choose the product they want and say no to the food they will not be able to use.”

Both Regina and Saskatoon Food Banks remarked on the giving nature of the community and how positive support has been from the agriculture community. For more information, or to get involved, please visit the Saskatoon and Regina Food Bank websites.