Connecting local farmers with community tables

Community Connections Society of Southeast BC (CCS) is celebrating its first Harvest Haul pickup at the Cranbrook Food Innovation Centre, marking an exciting milestone for a new initiative designed to make fresh, locally grown food more accessible while supporting farmers and food producers throughout the region.

Harvest Haul offers customers three ways to shop local: a Produce Box filled with seasonal fruits and vegetables, a Butcher Box featuring locally sourced meats, and a Grocery Box stocked with a selection of locally made and regionally sourced food products.

Each option makes it easier for community members to support local farmers, ranchers and food producers while bringing more local food into their homes.

The first pickup brings together local food, community connections and practical inspiration for getting more seasonal produce onto the table. Boxes include recipes to help customers make the most of their ingredients, while samples were available thanks to Kimberley Cranbrook Food Network and Live for Local, customers had an opportunity to discover new flavours and ideas for cooking with local food.

“Harvest Haul is about making it easier for people to buy local while creating more opportunities for our farmers and producers to reach customers,” said Lisa Larkin, Harvest Haul Manager. “We know people are feeling the pressure of rising grocery costs, and we want to build practical ways for our community to access local food while keeping more of those food dollars in our regional economy.”

The pilot supports participating farmers and producers by creating a coordinated, monthly purchasing opportunity and connecting their products with customers who may not otherwise have an easy way to shop from multiple local suppliers. It also helps CCS learn how a convenient, community-based local food model could grow in the future.

Harvest Haul is made possible in part through funding from ETSI-BC and Community Futures East Kootenay, whose support is helping CCS strengthen regional food connections and explore new opportunities for local food access and economic development.

The launch also represents an early step in the evolving role of the Cranbrook Food Innovation Centre. The centre is being developed as a hub for food storage, processing, distribution, commercial kitchen access and food entrepreneurship. By bringing CCS food programs and regional food-system partners together, the Centre will help strengthen connections between food production, local businesses and community food security.

Order your next Harvest Haul box

The next Harvest Haul order deadline is October 26, for the next monthly pickup.

Community members can browse the available box, place their order online and find pickup information through the CCS website: Order online.

Harvest Haul is a simple way to enjoy seasonal food, discover regional producers and help build a stronger local food system.

Community Connections Society of Southeast BC is a non-profit organization supporting individuals, families and communities through a range of social and community programs. Its Good Food Programs include Cranbrook Food Recovery, The Public Produce Garden, Cranbrook Urban Farm, Community Meals, community food initiatives and the development of the Cranbrook Food Innovation Centre, all working toward a more resilient and food-secure region.

Lead and above images: Photos show each type of box (produce, butcher, and grocery) from the first event in October. Photos submitted

Community Connections Society of Southeast BC

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