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Making fresh produce more affordable on campus

Diversity Chef de Cuisine (Main Campus) John Delaat, left, and UWSA Vice-President Student Affairs Laura Garinger show off the offerings in a February Food Box. ©UWinnipeg

Food Box - adThe University of Winnipeg Students’ Association and Diversity Food Services have teamed up to offer fresh, locally sourced produce at student-friendly prices.

Food Box is an on-campus fruit and vegetable pick up program available to students, staff, and faculty for only $10 per week. While the contents will be determined by seasonal availability, each box will include a variety of Manitoba produce — such as carrots, beets, potatoes, onions, and chickpeas.

“We are thrilled to be working in partnership with Diversity on this exciting initiative to provide more affordable, more accessible healthy food options for students on campus,” says Laura Garinger, UWSA vice-president student affairs.

The UWSA’s Food Bank has seen an increase in student users in recent years and Ian Vickers, Diversity’s chief operating officer, says the partnership is another way to tackle the issue of rising food prices.

“We wanted to be part of a solution to a food insecurity issue in Canada for students,” he says. “We’re uniquely positioned to fix that, thanks to Diversity’s buying power.”

By sourcing all of the food from Diversity’s suppliers, Vickers says he is able to keep costs low for Food Box participants — adding that the same amount of produce offered in each box would cost roughly $22 at a grocery store.

Another benefit is the simplicity of the UWSA/Diversity program. Unlike other local produce services, Food Box participants aren’t roped into a contract or defined delivery time.

“There’s no big-buy requirement, there’s no cash up-front, there’s no subscription — you just sign up for it when you want it, pay for it sometime before Wednesday and we’ll have it waiting for you on Friday,” says Vickers.

Anyone interested in buying a Food Box can sign up here. Payment for Food Box orders are made at Info Booth located in Centennial Hall. Proof of payment is required for pickup from Diversity in Riddell Hall.