On-Campus Affordable Food Market Taking Place in March and April 2022

This spring, visit the Campus Fresh Market! This project is led by Feeding 9 Billion peer helpers- Maya Nickle and Vivian Ma and is a collaborative effort between CESI’s Guelph Lab, the Arrell Food Institute, the Sustainability Office, Hospitality Services, and the Seed Guelph. The on-campus affordable food market will offer fresh fruits and vegetables for purchase with the goal of increasing the physical and financial accessibility of affordable produce.

The food market first launched in March 2022 and will be held on the following dates: March 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th, 31st, and April 7th. It will take place in the University Centre Main Square from 1:00 pm-4:00 pm. All of the produce items are sold on a sliding scale. The upper end of the scale is comparable to retail value and the lower end of the scale is the cheapest they can offer it, typically being 30 to 50% below retail price. Customers who come to the market are given the option to choose the amount they would like to pay in that range, with no questions asked.

Community food markets that use sliding scale models have proven to be beneficial in the Guelph community because they bring together people of all incomes together for one common goal: to enjoy fresh food and social connection. The on-campus affordable food market not only helps to address issues of food insecurity, but it also can build meaningful social connections. This market is open to anyone and everyone, with the goal of making healthy food as accessible as possible for all. 

Learn more about the Campus Fresh Market in this feature by University of Guelph Campus News and in this article in Guelph Today.