COCHRANE– A Calgary based company is becoming food for thought as many are seeing their service as affordable, convenient and fresh.
The Good Food Box - a subdivision of Calgary's Community Kitchen Program - allows individuals to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables at a very low cost. The program buys its goods in bulk by ordering directly from farmers and wholesale clubs.
Crystal Kerr, Cochrane's depot organizer and distributor, said the not-for-profit program is managed and run by dedicated volunteers. She said each person has a role from organizing and assembling boxes at the warehouse, to delivering boxes to each depot, to distributing boxes within communities.
"It's been an amazing program for so many people," Kerr said, adding that there are no specific requirements placed on individuals who want to order a box. "You just place an order and go with it."
Kerr explained the program has been running in Cochrane since 2014. In 2018, she decided to take on the role of becoming the contact person for Cochrane's depot. At that time she said she was normally getting orders of around 60-80 boxes. Due to COVID-19, Kerr said she has seen a significant increase in orders.
"Just this last month alone with the pandemic and everything that happened, I blew up to 206 boxes."
The boxes come in three different sizes. A small box costs $25 and is roughly 20-25 lbs of fruits and vegetables. A medium box is $30 with 30-35 lbs of goods and a large is $35 and holds up to 40-45 lbs of produce.
"You get your staples, the common ones in there, but every month is different. It's just based on what's in season," Kerr said. "I've seen it where you have apples, oranges, bananas, potatoes, lettuce, carrots, you get a huge variety. The volunteers will also throw a recipe in each box, so certain things you can make with food from your box."
She added if Cochranites could add an extra dollar to the price of their box purchase it would be a small way to help cover the gas cost of the delivery drivers.
Overseeing the Facebook page "Cochrane Good Food Box," at the beginning of every month Kerr will post the delivery schedule which will give the community roughly two weeks to place an order. This will be followed up by another post with a cut-off date and time for orders. Individuals can comment on the page what size box they would like alongside an email money transfer to Kerr, who then tallies up all her orders and calls it in. On delivery day, a truck will show up to the requested depot which is a confirmed spot that acts as a drop off zone.
The depot in Cochrane is at Kerr's house in Heartland. On the delivery day she will post on the Facebook page what time the truck will come so that individuals can have somewhat of an understanding of when to come pick up their orders. She said usually gets a call from the delivery driver when they are within 20 minutes and then needs to unload before people can start coming.
"Rain, snow, sleet or shine, I'm expected to help. We get it all off-loaded into my garage," Kerr said. "This last delivery we had 7 pallets of food, it was crazy," said Kerr.
Kerr added that she normally can manage to hand off the boxes on her own but due to the high volume she was able to round up some volunteers to help during the pandemic.
Because the Cochrane depot is in a community, Kerr is trying to keep traffic congestion down. She said last month she reached out for volunteers who reside in different neighbourhoods throughout Town to take a number of boxes to their district.
"It was amazing, Cochrane came together and people said 'No problem, I'll take over Sunset, I'll take over Heritage' and they are taking five or six boxes at a time, so it's cutting a lot down which is nice."
Those who did come to her house for deliveries were told to stay in their cars as she adhered to social distancing measures in place and treated it as a drive-thru system, all with the help of her husband for some added manpower in lifting the boxes.
Although the pandemic fosters its own barriers with volunteers willing to help, Kerr said there is ways to make it work, whether that be limiting the number of people around, wearing masks and gloves or minding their distancing.
"Any of the extra hands is greatly appreciated," Kerr laughed.
To place an order, volunteer with future delivery handouts or for any inquires reach out to Crystal Kerr via the Facebook page "Good Food Box Cochrane."
