Slides from Natasha Beaudin's presentation on the Ottawa Good Food Box/La Boîte verte d'Ottawa as part of the Food Access PLC's webinar on Good Food Box & Market Programs that took place December 11th. Natasha Beaudin is the Ottawa GFB Coordinator.

1. Ottawa Good Food Box
La boîte verte d’Ottawa

2. Ottawa Good Food Box
History:
- started in 1996 by Community Developers
and Community Nutritionists
- Making fruits and vegetables more
accessible, more affordable
= healthy people

3. Ottawa Good Food Box
• Nonprofit, community-based, non-charitable model
• brings neighbors together to buy delicious and
nutritious fresh fruits and vegetables at wholesale
prices
• Our goal is to purchase food which is in season and
is grown close to home as possible.
• Customers order in the 1st week of the month and
pick up in the 3rd week
• A newsletter with nutrition tips, recipes and
information about the program, is included in every
box.

4. Large Box $20
Medium Box ($15)
Small Box ($10)
$5 Fruit
Bag
$25 Local
Organic
Box
Our boxes

5. Ottawa Good Food Box
Mission:
 Increase consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables
 Introduce variety and new food experiences.
 Encourage cooking from scratch
 Build community

6. Ottawa Good Food Box
GFB Today:
 42 sites across the city, from Orleans to Kanata to
Hunt Club and everywhere in between, rural GFB
sites in Carp & Constance Bay
 500 boxes per month
 Feeds about 1500 – 2000 people/month
 85+ active volunteers
 2 part-time coordinators

7. Other Projects
Healthy People, Healthy Communities – a PhD
research project to assess barriers and facilitators
for Urban Aboriginal people to access the GFB
Cooking & Nutrition workshops:
-Good Food in the Schools
-Cooking out of the Good Food Box
- Workshops for Newcomers
- Workshops for Seniors
Good Food Markets
Market Mobile

8. Good Food in
the Schools
Program Goals:
 Increase food security
 Provide food skills
education
 Foster community
development

9. Successes
 Schools, families, and
children engaged in the
program
 Children eating healthy
foods, changing attitudes,
and building life skills
 Children working together,
building community
 Schools starting GFB sites
 Families accessing healthy
food
 “Let’s Keep Kids Out of
Hospitals” award from
CHEO for poverty reduction

10. Eating
Better…Eating
Together
• promotes healthy eating
• reduces social isolation
among older adults
• Welcoming workshops
• Informal, seniors can
discuss healthy eating and
healthy food practices
• hands-on cooking
demonstration
• seniors cook and eat a
healthy meal together

11. GOOD FOOD MARKETS
Bon marchés de quartiers

12. Good Food Market
GFM are community markets that sell high quality,
affordable fruits and vegetables. These markets bring healthy
produce to neighbourhoods where it might not otherwise be
available, and where farmers’ markets are not possible
because sales are too low to cover farmers’ costs.

13. Good Food Markets
Good Food Markets are an initiative of the Poverty
and Hunger Working Group through the Coalition of
Community Health and Resource Centres and their
community partners.
Partners include: the Ottawa Good Food Box, Ottawa
Public Health, City of Ottawa, Ottawa Community
Housing and the Social Planning Council.
As well as our 11 Market locations.

16. Dried Goods & CFAs

17. Why did you come to the market? (check all that apply)
Response Chart Percentage Count
Affordable food 43% 88
Quality of food 35% 72
Close to home 68% 138
Special activities 8% 17
Socializing with friends
and neighbours
22% 45
Food that I can't buy
elsewhere
3% 6
Other, please specify... 14% 29
Total Responses 203

18. 3. Because you came to the market will you...
Response Chart Percentage Count
Eat more fruits and
vegetables
57% 112
Save money on food 43% 86
Know my neighbour
better
28% 56
Try new kinds of food 20% 39
Eat more food from my
culture
11% 22
Feel healthier 40% 80
Prepare home cooked
meals
25% 50
Be more aware of local
activities
36% 72
Total Responses 198

19. www.OttawaGoodFoodBox.ca