Fresh-produce program makes 'astonishing' Cape Breton debut

After eight years of success in mainland Nova Scotia, organizers of a program that tackles food insecurity and food waste by bringing fresh fruit and vegetables to small communities decided to test the Cape Breton waters. 

In its first appearance in Port Hawkesbury, the Square Roots initiative — a venture of the Saint Mary's University Enactus program — quickly exhausted its supply of 900 kilograms of produce on Saturday afternoon. 

Another 330 kilograms of food disappeared within 90 minutes the following day, when Square Roots officials brought more fruits and vegetables to the same location to give away. 

"We were very shocked," said Nate Collier, a third-year bachelor of commerce student at Saint Mary's who is co-manager of the Square Roots project.

"We were just astonished to see, I would say, probably half the produce gone before the event was even scheduled to be started."

'I couldn't believe that they were called seconds'

Established in 2016, Square Roots brings in produce deemed surplus or unusable by farmers, wholesalers and supermarkets. The goods are first offered for free to raise awareness of the program in host communities, which then later organize sales of produce at prices 50 per cent lower than those offered by grocery stores. Proceeds from sales go back into the program to further its growth.

The project originally served communities within the Halifax Regional Municipality but soon expanded to rural parts of mainland Nova Scotia. The success of a Square Roots operation in Guysborough sparked Port Hawkesbury's Michele Tabensky to organize Cape Breton's first experience with the initiative on Saturday and Sunday.

Tabensky and her colleagues are now taking online orders from the community for their first Square Roots produce sale on March 21 at the Port Hawkesbury Civic Centre. She said they're pleased with the quality of the fruits and vegetables being made available.

"Other than picking a few tomatoes out of this stuff that were a little overripe, everything was beautiful," Tabensky said of the introductory event. "I couldn't believe that they were called seconds."

Square Roots planning further expansion into Cape Breton

Square Roots is now preparing for its next Cape Breton launch in the Richmond County community of D'Escousse. Collier said the project is also reaching out to potential organizers in Sydney and Baddeck. 

Meanwhile, the program will set up shop in Shelburne County and the Annapolis Valley this weekend, as Collier and his colleagues seek to extend the network throughout the province.

This month Square Roots is celebrating the milestone of delivering a total of 454,000 kilograms (one million pounds) of food to communities since its inception in 2016, said a news release from the program.

"We are currently in 16 communities and want to be in every county in Nova Scotia by April 2025 and we have a vision to take this model nationally," said Square Roots president Courtney Dingle, a Saint Mary's business student.