The Centretown Emergency Food Centre is hoping that donations of local produce will increase because of a new tax credit scheme for farmers recently introduced by the provincial government.
Ontario’s Local Food Act, passed by Queen’s Park in early November, allows food banks to issue tax receipts to farmers who donate their agricultural products to the food banks.
The Centretown Emergency Food Centre has been struggling lately with increased demand and not enough supply, says Kerry Kaiser, the executive co-ordinator of the centre.
“Food bank use in Ontario is the highest it’s ever been and it’s the highest of any other province in Canada,” she says.
The client base at the Centretown food bank has increased by 20 per cent since last year because of new subsidized housing in the area and rising food costs, she says.
These numbers have made it more difficult for the food centre to provide fresh fruit and vegetables for their clients.
“The problem is produce is expensive and it’s essential to a nutritious diet,” she says.
A survey released last month found that 33 per cent of Ottawa households in the lowest income bracket are unable to purchase healthy foods.
The cost of feeding a family of four in Ottawa rose by six per cent from last year.
Kaiser says she’s hopeful that the new tax credit will encourage farmers to donate more.
“When they change laws like that, it really works in our favour and it works in the farmers’ favour too,” she says.
Local farmers donate food directly to the Ottawa Food Bank, which then distributes the fresh produce to other food centres, including the Centretown Emergency Food Centre, which operates out of the basement of the Centretown United Church.
The Ottawa Food Bank works in partnership with the Ottawa Farmer’s Market to collect produce that did not sell at the market during the day.
Jamie Creskey, owner of Hoople Creek Farm, participates in the program.
His farm is located 85 kilometres South-East of Ottawa in Ingleside, Ontario. He grows organic fruits and vegetables, including a purple tomato called the Black Brandywine.
He says the tax credit will be helpful.
“Most farmers don’t want to produce more than they can sell because production is costly. So it allows a little more buffer to produce more without the risk of it going unsold,” he says.
The financial incentive created by the bill will prompt him to donate more, he says.
Kaiser says she appreciates the generosity farmers have shown in the past and is glad the government has taken a step to help them financially.
“They’re not just (donating) out of the goodness of their hearts. But the reality of the situation is that farmers are cash-strapped, too,” she says.