Download a PDF version of the toolkit for eaters here.
Create Economic Opportunities
- Purchase foods grown on nearby farms. Visit your local farmers’ market.
- Choose local stores and products when possible.
- Ask for local products at restaurants and stores.
- Join a local Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)* initiative and get to know your local growers. (*Community Supported Agriculture is a system that directly links consumers to farmers through the upfront purchase of a share in the harvest. Most CSAs collect the full cost of the share and distribute seasonal harvest once a week throughout the growing season to consumers at local drop-off points.)
Promote Education and Skill Building
- Participate in training that focuses on nutrition, food safety, growing food and cooking. Involve children when possible.
- Support or initiate community gardens.
- 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 (eg. hands-on cooking classes, gardening activities, food safety).
Maintain a Healthy Ecosystem
- Eat seasonally when possible (e.g., Ontario strawberries in July).
- Reduce waste by composting and recycling.
- Donate excess food to food programs or to farms for livestock feed.
- Reduce food miles by eating local products.
- Discourage wasting food.
- 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 farm lands.
- Purchase food items with less packaging.
Foster Residents’ Health & Well-Being
- Incorporate more vegetables and fruit into meals and snacks.
- Establish or volunteer in a community garden.
- 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.
- Contact the Parry Sound Salvation Army to see how you can support your local Good Food Box program.
Support Equal Access Opportunities
- Advocate for sufficient social assistance and disability benefits; affordable housing and 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 share program.
- Join ‘Parry Sound and Area Food Collaborative’ to help promote healthy, sustainable food in the community (Email us at parrysoundareafood@gmail.com to join)
Celebrate Culture & Collaboration
- 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 friends and family.
- 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.