Unique food sharing program ensures no produce goes to waste

Barrie, Ont. -

A unique food sharing program encourages individuals to donate excess fruits and vegetables, ensuring no one goes hungry and nothing goes to waste.

Living Green Barrie director Andee Pelan says the food share meets a need for people who can't afford fresh food for their families and helps the planet.

"Food waste is a huge problem for climate change, so a great way to reduce your impact, your carbon impact, is actually to start thinking about how we can grow more local food and making sure that it's not wasted," Pelan adds.

She says the pandemic pushed many people to create backyard gardens "so suddenly you have all these gardens, and you have all these people who are begging people to take their kale or zucchini."

No food goes to waste. Blemished produce will go to a local farm to feed animal rescues.

Residents are encouraged to bring extra fruits and vegetables to Shear Park on Holgate Street in Barrie on Saturday between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. to donate to the Harvest Share program.

"We're going to have volunteers here. We're going to be sorting the fruit out, the produce out, making sure it's good and getting it into the hands of community members that really could use it," Palen finishes.

Shear Park is also home to a community garden and orchard.

Living Green Barrie organized the program, with most of the donated produce going to the Barrie Native Friendship Centre.