There’s nothing as tasty or nutritious as fresh garden produce. But not everybody has access to it. For that reason, The Community Exchange in Altona has been running a grab-and-go Veggie Stand so that everyone can enjoy the bountiful harvest of local gardeners.
Administrative assistant Kayla Giesbrecht says this is the second summer the stand has been available, and its popularity and supply have steadily grown.
“The selection and amount vary as garden produce becomes available. People harvest their gardens and bring us the surplus. We wash and display them, and people can drop in and help themselves,” she explains. “It’s worked out really well. We have full tables loaded with boxes some weeks. There’s everything from tomatoes, apples, carrots and beets, to cucumbers, potatoes, and yes, zucchini.”
The best part? It’s free for the taking. Just visit The Exchange at 116 Main St. on Monday, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Tuesday to Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and help yourself.
Any leftover produce is delivered to Roseau River First Nation on Friday, where it is shared there.
The Veggie Stand was inspired by Border Land School Division educators Barb Rempel and Megan Regier.
“Megan and I were thinking of ways to share produce. We know there are certain times of the year when people have more than they can use,” says Rempel. “Not everybody is a gardener, and some people may not have garden space or access to a garden. And others can’t afford to purchase produce. So, this is also about spreading the wealth, knowing that groceries are expensive.
“So rather than composting or getting rid of excess produce, we thought this could be a great way to take what you don’t need and share it with the community.”
with weeding and digging,” Rempel explains. “It’s a great partnership. I invite anybody who has extra produce to bring it to the Community Exchange. And spread the word that this is there. They’ll gladly accept everything.”
Meanwhile, they’d love to see more community members share their extra produce.
“Spread the word this is here. If you have more produce than you need, we’d be grateful if you’d share it, and there are people here who will gladly take it.”
