reFRESH Cowichan Kitchen
The reFRESH Cowichan Kitchen team works closely with CGC’s Food Recovery Program team who regularly pick up the surplus produce from grocery stores in the Cowichan Region.
When the donated products arrive at CGC
staff sort it and select the fruit and vegetables that are not quite fresh enough to redistribute to use in the kitchen. Another small portion of the recovered produce from select stores goes into the reFRESH Cowichan Marketplace for sale, while about 80% is delivered to service providers who help support vulnerable community members.
This efficient and streamlined daily process helps to reduce food waste, and ensures surplus food goes to people first before being used as feed for livestock or compost. Based on what food is received each day, the kitchen team sort, cook, preserve, and process a variety of nutritious meals, often creatively coming up with new recipes on the spot.
The reFRESH Cowichan Kitchen team is also responsible for catering
The Meals on Wheels Program and three nights a week, they make nutritious meals for the three temporary housing sites set up since Covid in Duncan.
Once those meals are completed, their focus turns to creating meals for reFRESH Cowichan Marketplace. The Comfort Food Series offer affordable, yet delicious frozen meals of great quality that can easily be heated up at home. The Turkey Dinner and Vegetarian Lasagna have been just as popular as the Island Curry and Cauliflower Soup. The kitchen team, managed by Tony Monk, is constantly working on creating and packaging entrees, soups, and even delectable desserts.
reFRESH Cowichan
Food Recovery Program
Since 2004, CGC has strived to create greater access to nutritional food throughout the Cowichan Region.
With almost one in four children living in poverty, our community has never needed better access to healthy food as much as now. At the same time, we have an overwhelming global food waste problem. Canada wastes over 55% of the food we produce, equaling over 35 million tons annually, much of which ends up in landfills creating a large and unnecessary environmental issue.
In 2018, the reFRESH Cowichan Food Recovery Program was initially established
with support from a grant from the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction, Job Creation Partnership Program. The program’s objectives were to both ‘recover’ food from food retailers while also servicing the community by delivering this perfectly edible produce to vulnerable community members at no cost.
With a transport vehicle funding through a grant from the Cowichan Valley Regional District, the program team delivers up to 1,000 pounds of fresh food daily to over 15 local service providers and community organizations across the Region.
By December 2022, the team had redistributed over 1,000,000 pounds of fruit and vegetables to all corners of the Cowichan Region to those who need it most.
The reFRESH Cowichan Food Recovery Program falls under the umbrella of ‘reFRESH Cowichan’
which utilizes the CGC’s onsite commercial kitchen and includes the reFRESH Cowichan Marketplace grocery store to process and sell a small percentage of the recovered food donated by specific retailers. This in turn, covers some of the ongoing operational costs, while ensuring all of the excess food is redirected in the most sustainable way possible.
If you would like any more information or would like to volunteer or make a donation, please contact Project Supervisor Nathan Harben at nathan@cowichangreencommunity.org or 250 748 8506.
reFRESH Cowichan Marketplace
reFRESH Cowichan Marketplace
is a dignified and inclusive grocery store offering recovered fruit and vegetables, value-added products, and locally made goods to nourish our community.
reFRESH Cowichan Marketplace operates as a Social Enterprise
which is a business within a non profit that provides products and services at a small cost with the goal of having a positive impact on societal health and wellbeing.
A small percentage of produce donated through the reFRESH Cowichan Food Recovery Program is made available for purchase at the reFRESH Cowichan Marketplace, which allows the program to generate income and cover ongoing operational costs.
A unique aspect of shopping at the reFRESH Cowichan Marketplace is all profits funnel back into the reFRESH Cowichan Coupon Program.
It is an easy way for everyone to purchase fresh, nutritious food at affordable prices while at the same time giving back to our community members who benefit from CGC programming.
The reFRESH Cowichan Coupon Program was initiated as a direct result of Covid-19
and the challenges it made to accessing fresh, nutritious food for many of our community members.
With funds raised through Victoria Foundation, Vancouver Foundation, Community Food Centres Canada, United Way, First West Credit Union, Island Savings Credit Union, Food Banks of BC, 100 Warmland Women, VanCity Credit Union, and many private donors, we provide 100 low-income families, seniors, and individuals a weekly $25 voucher to shop for groceries in the reFRESH Cowichan Marketplace.
The weekly coupons can be used for almost all grocery items, including organic dairy, pantry staples, local meat, homemade frozen meals, and a wide variety of recovered produce. Many of the reFRESH Cowichan Coupon Program participants have shared with us this program is essential to them and their families as it provides fresh fruit, vegetables, and other essentials they might otherwise be unable to afford.
One of CGC’s priorities is to secure further funding to keep this crucial program going. Please connect with us if you would like to make a donation.
reFRESH Cowichan Marketplace
Hours:
Monday to Friday: 10:00AM to 5:00PM
Saturday: 10:00AM to 3:00PM
Location:
360 Duncan Street
Duncan, BC
V9L 3W4
We are located on the ground level of The Station – walk through the arbor at the front of the building.
Our mission is to cultivate food, community and resilience.
Cowichan Green Community Society, (CGC) is a non-profit organization that has been focusing on environmental sustainability in the Cowichan Region since 2004. CGC’s mandate is to improve food security by developing strong relationships with local food producers, increasing capacity for local food production (both urban and rural), and empowering people with the knowledge, skills, and resources they need to feed their community.
reFRESH Cowichan is an initiative of Cowichan Green Community Society focusing on the proper distribution of quality food in the Cowichan Region on Vancouver Island, Canada. Our vision is to increase community access to delicious, healthy food. reFRESH Cowichan Marketplace is our storefront in the heart of Duncan offering affordable produce, organic dairy products, frozen meals and grocery essentials to the community.