Written by: Nihal Mir and Benson Yu
Staff note: Nihal and Benson are two of our extraordinary Market Leaders this season running the Youth Food Market, a seasonal project in Waterloo Region that aims to support youth skill building and leadership, as well as local food systems and food accessibility.
As leaders for the Youth in Food Systems food markets that occur throughout the summer at Eastwood Collegiate Institute and Chandler Mowat Community Center, we can testify that they are an amazing experience for everyone involved.
One aspect of the markets that makes them valuable to our community is how we source our vegetables. Our produce is grown at 4 farms in the Kitchener-Waterloo region and 7 local school garden sites. Because our sources of produce are almost entirely local, we are able to support other charitable organizations within our community, create a more sustainable food market, and guarantee freshness in our items for our customers.
Something that we value highly in our markets is affordability, as one of our goals is to make our produce accessible to as many people in our community as possible. One way we make our markets accessible is by giving our customers the opportunity to decide how much they want to pay for each item within a price range. For example, our cucumbers are priced from $0.50 – $2.50!
In addition, the markets are an amazing experience for the youth market leaders. Through these markets, we get to connect with like-minded individuals who care about positively contributing to the community, and we are able to develop transferable skills such as interpersonal communication, customer service, salesmanship, problem-solving, and collaboration in a realistic and unique setting.
In conclusion, the markets provide locally sourced produce to our community and create a positive environment for everyone involved. By prioritizing sustainability and affordability of the produce as well as including the youth as market leaders, these markets are making a lasting impact on the community.
