Idea Bank
There are so many great ideas in the Idea Bank. See something you'd like to contribute to? Let us know!
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Bruise Bar
Bruise Bar is a social food enterprise that repurposes unwanted produce on a production and retail level into healthy, affordable snacks. We will have an educational campaign throughout our business raising awareness on food waste, aiming to change the perception and behaviour of consumers. Ultimately removing the stigma of ugly produce. We will be sourcing our produce from the ugly or unwanted produce from grocery stores or farms to help divert large amounts of food that would otherwise be wasted.
Nature is Calling
The idea around which the project revolves is the building in open settings of flush toilets and/or toilets other than non-flush toilets that release the solid and liquid waste for the growth of plants and fish within an enclosed environment. The project will lead to many benefits for Guelph and eventually for the entire universe through increased revenue, businesses and jobs, as well as a healthy environment.
Feed it Forward
Food insecurity is a serious problem affecting over 1 in 6 households in Guelph. The Guelph Food Bank’s role in fighting this problem is critical. However, a lack of funding strongly limits its impact in our community. Feed it Forward's aim is to provide those funds by creating a fundraising and educational system involving high school students. We will form specialized high school clubs in Centennial College and Ross Vocational Institute. Its members will then design and carry out fundraising campaigns with the Food Bank, allowing them to gain leadership skills and required volunteer hours.
The Guelph Youth Farm project
Guelph Youth Farm project will be run by and for youth. The Farm will: - be located near downtown Guelph, and modeled after several successful youth farm projects in cities around North America. - operate as a social enterprise growing fresh food for the community; - provide training and employment for youth; - offer solutions to systemic community challenges in lower income and more vulnerable neighborhoods in Guelph, such as the Onward Willow neighbourhood west of the Farm; and, - serve as an outdoor "farm park" space for public events and workshops.
The Living Food Box
The Living Food Box project is a simple, portable and creative teaching tool to demonstrate to a wide variety of populations how to grow their own food. Since there is acknowledged agreement from teachers and support workers that improving access to fresh locally grown food will improve the nutrition and physical wellbeing status of marginalized populations. They have identified this project as a priority in our community, and will help support their goals.
Community Cookouts
Members of vulnerable populations (low income, chronic illness, seniors) suffer from lack of access to good quality and nutritious food. We would like to organize Community Cookouts to involve community members in preparing foods grown in the garden. We will consume meals together to further form connections and build stronger, resilient communities. By having delicious snacks and drinks available, we hope to refuel existing and attract new community garden volunteers. We will provide shade in which to take a break. It is our hope that neighbours will continue this tradition and use community gardens as gathering places.
Delivering Food For All
The idea is to create a delivery system for the public of guelph, to access good, healthy, food, while avoiding the stigma of going to the food bank, when 75% don’t access it already. To do it would be to get food as cheaply possible, scaled to needs of the population according to a food security index. Providing healthy food at discounted rates to different levels of food security. Lastly, making it a sustainable system that serves all people.
