Download the Nipissing and Area Food Charter Toolkit PDF

Health & Wellness

  • Include more vegetables and fruit into meals and snacks.
  • Establish or volunteer in a community garden. Visit the North Bay Area Community Garden Coalition website for more information.
  • Participate in or initiate a ‘wellness committee’ at your school, workplace or recreation club to define and implement healthy eating efforts.
  • Support healthy food champions and choices in schools, workplaces, child care centres, recreation settings, and community spaces.
  • Support the Nipissing Good Food Box program*.

*Contact the Good Food Box Program at goodfoodboxnipissing@gmail.com

Sustainable Economic Development

  • Purchase foods grown on nearby farms. Visit a farmers’ market.
  • Join a local Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)* initiative and get to know your local growers.
  • Choose local stores and products when possible.
  • Ask for local products at restaurants and stores.

*CSA programs link consumers to farmers through the upfront purchase of a share in the harvest at the beginning of the growing season.

Social Equity

  • Learn more about the issues that impact food security.
  • Advocate for change. Talk to your local politicians about the need for higher social assistance rates, more affordable housing, childcare and public transportation, and a living wage to ensure access to healthy food for all.
  • Donate only high quality, healthy food to food banks and food drives to increase access to healthy foods.
  • Buy fair trade products.
  • “Grow a Row” and donate your produce to a local food program.
  • Join ‘Nipissing Area Food’ to help promote healthy, sustainable food in our community. Email us at info@nipissingareafood.com

The Environment

  • Eat seasonally when possible (e.g. Ontario strawberries in July)
  • Reduce waste by composting and recycling. Reduce household food waste.
  • Donate excess food to food programs or to farms for livestock feed.
  • Reduce food miles by eating local products more often.
  • Conserve water; use a rain barrel to collect water for your garden.
  • Forage, harvest and hunt in ways that ensure sustainability.
  • Advocate for, and support organizations, that promote preservation of local waters and farmland.
  • Purchase food items with less packaging.

Food Literacy

  • Participate in training that focuses on nutrition, food safety, growing food and cooking. Involve children when possible.
  • Support or initiate community gardens. Visit the North Bay Area Community Garden Coalition website.
  • Involve children and youth in food preparation.
  • Borrow library books on healthy, seasonal cooking and growing food.
  • Share your knowledge about growing and preparing food.
  • Advocate for more food-related learning opportunities in schools (hands-on cooking classes, gardening activities, food safety etc).

Culture

  • Participate in local food festivals and events to celebrate the diversity of food.
  • Model healthy eating behaviours for children and youth.
  • Take time to prepare and enjoy homemade meals with family and friends.
  • Share recipes and gardening tips.

We would like to acknowledge the Guelph Wellington Food Roundtable’s wonderful work creating the Food Charter Toolkit that this document is based on.