Garden Fresh Box Program

What are some possible solutions to the food desert problem?

Although this is a complex social issue, there are already some small scale strategies being launched to help combat the problem.

Some cities in the US have proposed the idea of “portable supermarkets”, which are essentially food trucks which target neighbourhoods that are not within the vicinity of a grocery store. The food trucks sell fresh fruits, vegetables meat and dairy products. A company called “Mogro” (short for mobile grocery) is in operation in New Mexico, with the goal of providing healthy and affordable food to people facing physical, social and economic barriers to food. [5] They make deliveries twice a week to a central location, providing a variety of fresh, frozen and refrigerated food. Pretty cool!

Here in Guelph where I go to school, the Guelph Community Health Centre has come up with their own strategy to address barriers to accessing heathy food. According to their website, "The Garden Fresh Box Program is a non-profit, fresh produce buying service created to help people access affordable fresh fruits and vegetables and also to support our local farmers"[6].

Check out this you-tube video for some more information!

I had heard of the garden fresh box earlier in my University Career, but never got around to giving it a try. Participants of the program go to one of several central locations in guelph to make their order and pay for the food box.  Food boxes are delivered to participant's neighbourhoods on the 3rd Thursday of every month [6].

There is the option of a large box for $20 or a small box for $15.

Here is an example of what you can expect to receive:

Sample Large Box ($20)

10 apples

2 lbs Spanish onions

1 large cabbage

1 butternut squash

2 lb carrots

1 lb candycane beets

1 head garlic

1 pie pumpkin

4 pears

1 bunch leeks

1 head lettuce

5 lb potatoes

Sample Small Box ($15)

5 apples

2 lb Spanish onions

2 lb carrots

1 lb candycane beets

1 head garlic

1 pie pumpkin

4 pears

1 red pepper

1 head lettuce

2.5 lbs potatoes

[6]

Interested? I copied the following message off of their website:

           "If you are interested in purchasing a Garden Fresh Box, volunteering or setting up a host site in your neighbourhood, or if you are a grower interested in selling your produce, please call (519) 821-6638 ext. 344 or emailgfbox@guelphchc.ca."

For additional information, please click HERE

How effective are these strategies with actually connecting people with healthy food and improving their intake? Are they actually improving the day to day diets of someone living in a food desert? It's difficult to evaluate. As many health problems are, the issue must be tackled using a multidisciplinary approach.

Although it appears that there have been no studies to evaluate the effectiveness of these projects, they are certainly a great start.

Thanks for reading!

Karoline