Community Development Council Good Food Box
The Good Food Box has secured a bigger location in Belleville to help with an increase in demand for affordable fresh produce.
The monthly program offers a box of fruits and veggies at reasonable prices year round to residents in the Quinte and surrounding areas. Consumers can purchase a small box of produce for $10 or a large box for $15. Price comparisons by the Community Development Council of Quinte show customers are saving almost $15 with the purchase of a large box opposed to buying the selected items at rural grocery stores.
Staff and volunteers with the CDC have been searching for an upgrade to their Hillcrest produce packing site on Centre Street for three years and now will be moving to the Parkdale Community Centre in February. Consumers will then instead start picking up produce at the 119 Birch Street location on February 15.
CDC Executive Director Ruth Ingersoll explained their numbers continue to grow rapidly. In December, they had 1,450 orders for produce compared to 563 this time five years ago. She said this new site offers 100 more square feet and it will allow workers to pack more effectively and efficiently to keep up with the demand.
Ingersoll added she expects those numbers to grow in 2017.
Canada’s Food Price Report for 2017 finds that food prices could increase between three per cent and five per cent with meat, vegetables, fish and other seafood projected to jump by as much as four to six per cent. Ontario and British Columbia are expected to see most of the increases with the average Canadian expected to dish out as much as $420 more for food next year.
With the move, residents’ pick up dates will remain unchanged running every third Wednesday.
For more details on the program or to find a pick up location in your neighbourhood visit www.cdcquinte.com
