Submitted by Jane Fleet

Spring has sprung and with it, new growth – not only in our gardens but in our programs and community partnerships. 

At Columbia Valley Food and Farm (CVFF), we’re excited to share a major step forward in our efforts to strengthen food security and reduce waste in the Columbia Valley.

After months of planning and research, we’re nearing the launch of our Food Recovery Program, an initiative designed to rescue surplus food and redirect it to those who need it most. 

This spring, we’re piloting the program in partnership with Family Dynamix to provide nutritious meals to a small group of local seniors who need support maintaining their health and independence.

Working closely with Sobeys Grocery, we will collect safe, unsold food and combine it with ingredients purchased through a generous grant from the United Way. These will be transformed into wholesome meals by our program manager and chef, Lara McCormack. We are also very grateful to the District of Invermere for helping us establish the Columbia Valley Centre kitchen as our base for meal preparation.

For those readers who aren’t familiar with food recovery, a few statistics may be of interest:

• Fifty-two per cent of food produced in Canada is wasted.

• The direct cost of this amounts to $49.9 billion annually. The energy cost is equivalent to the energy used to run all cars on the road in British Columbia and Ontario.

• The BC Food Donors Encouragement Act protects companies from liability when donating food as long as the food is not donated with reckless disregard to safety.

• Many types of food are safe and healthy well beyond the best before date. Well established guidelines help programs know when food actually needs to be thrown away.

We are proud to be working alongside other community organizations that share our vision for a sustainable, food-secure future, including the Columbia Valley Food Bank and Groundswell Community Gardens. By aligning our efforts, we hope to create a stronger, more resilient local food system rooted in community care.

Help us nourish our neighbours. We’re calling for volunteers to help with food collection, sorting and meal prep, working alongside Lara and our team to turn recovered food into delicious, nutritious meals. If you are interested please email [email protected]