As I step through the Windsor Farmers Market on a bright Saturday afternoon, the bustling energy of commerce begins to wind down. Vendors pack away their remaining inventory, but unlike years past, thousands of pounds of perfectly good produce won’t be heading to dumpsters or compost piles.
“We’ve redirected over 16,500 pounds of fresh food to community members who really need it,” explains Joanne Carter, coordinator of Windsor’s Market Harvest Initiative. She gestures toward volunteers carefully sorting through donations of slightly bruised tomatoes, surplus zucchini, and bunches of kale that didn’t sell during market hours.
The program, launched eighteen months ago through a partnership between the City of Windsor and three local food banks, has quietly transformed weekend market leftovers into weekday meals for hundreds of families across Essex County.
What makes this initiative different from typical food recovery programs is its integration with the existing farmers market infrastructure. Vendors don’t need to make special trips or arrangements – they simply leave designated items in collection bins before heading home.
For farmer Sam Whelan, who has sold produce at the market for over two decades, the program solves a persistent problem. “Before this started, I’d haul back maybe 200 pounds of good vegetables each weekend that wouldn’t keep until the next market. It broke my heart throwing it away, knowing people were going hungry just blocks from here.”
According to Food Banks Canada, Ontario saw a 42% increase in food bank usage between 2019 and 2023, with Windsor-Essex experiencing even higher demand following pandemic-related job losses in the manufacturing and hospitality sectors.
The Windsor Essex Food Bank Association reports serving approximately 8,700 individuals monthly, with nearly a third being children under 18. Fresh produce remains one of the most requested yet least available items in traditional food assistance programs.
“When you’re operating on a tight budget, fresh vegetables are often sacrificed for more shelf-stable, calorie-dense options,” notes dietitian Maria Gonzalez, who volunteers with the program. “But nutritional deficiencies create their own health challenges, especially for growing children and seniors.”
City councillor Sarah Thompson, who championed the initiative’s funding after witnessing similar programs during a conference in Vancouver, points to the multiple benefits beyond hunger relief.
“We’re reducing waste management costs, supporting local farmers who can now donate without financial loss, and providing dignity through food choice. Recipients aren’t getting mystery boxes – they’re selecting items they know their families will eat.”
The program costs approximately $47,000 annually to operate, covering part-time coordinator wages, transportation, storage containers, and volunteer training. Thompson notes this investment pales compared to the estimated $175,000 retail value of food recovered to date.
Environment Windsor calculates the initiative has diverted nearly eight tonnes of organic waste from landfills, preventing approximately three tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions that would have resulted from decomposition.
Behind the statistics are people like Mariam Assani, a newcomer from Syria who visits the downtown distribution site weekly. “My children now know Canadian vegetables they never saw before. Yesterday, my daughter made soup with butternut squash we received. This food helps our grocery money last until month’s end.”
For Windsor’s farming community, the program preserves the dignity of their labor. Third-generation farmer Elias Murphy explains, “Growing food is sacred work. When you’ve tended something from seed to harvest, watching it nourish people rather than rot makes all the difference to your spirit.”
The initiative hasn’t been without challenges. Early issues with transportation logistics and food safety protocols required adjustments. Summer heat necessitated investment in cooling equipment, and winter operations meant finding indoor sorting spaces.
What began as a city-funded pilot now attracts support from local businesses. Three grocery chains have donated reusable containers, while a refrigeration company provides maintenance services for storage units. A local trucking firm offers a vehicle and driver once weekly to help with distribution.
Program coordinators are developing a toolkit to share with other municipalities. Nearby communities including Leamington and Amherstburg have sent representatives to observe Windsor’s system, with Leamington launching its own scaled version last month.
Market manager David Chen believes the program’s success stems from its simplicity. “We didn’t create a complicated new system. We just built thoughtful connections between existing community assets – farmers with surplus, volunteers with time, and neighbors needing food.”
As I watch market-goers making final purchases while volunteers prepare collection bins, the initiative’s impact becomes visible. What could have been waste transforms into weekend meals for hundreds of families, connecting the community through shared resources and compassion.
In Windsor, food recovery has become more than emergency hunger relief – it’s evolved into a community practice that honors farmers’ work, respects environmental resources, and recognizes that access to fresh food shouldn’t be determined by economic circumstances.
