Leadership from the Thunder Bay & Area Food Strategy, along with the city’s manager of supply management, Dan Munshaw, and food services manager at Pioneer Ridge long-term care centre, Chris Borutski, have led to meals that feature locally-grown meat and vegetables, and support local producers.
“Meals at Pioneer Ridge, the city’s 150-bed long-term care home, began to include juicy homegrown tomatoes from DeBruin’s, heritage carrots from Belluz Farms, and a variety of other fresh produce. The city’s innovative forward-buying contracts with local producers attracted attention across Canada.
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Early successes included more than doubling the city’s annual spend on local food, an award from the Greenbelt Foundation, and national recognition from Nourish Leadership. But now the big question is how to maintain and grow this progressive purchasing practice.
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“When you realize that the average food calorie in northwestern Ontario travels 3200 km,” says Munshaw, “we know that can, and must, be reduced. We’ve made a good start, but there is still much work to be done.”
Read more from Ellen Mortfield in the May 2022 edition of The Walleye magazine (p. 18). Click here for a copy of the article.