How Ontario food banks fill their shelves via weekly swaps along Hwy 401

A well-organized swapof donated food sends fresh cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers grown in Windsor-Essex along Highway 401 to hundreds of food banks that are struggling to find fresh produce.

In return, the Toronto Daily Bread Food bank sends items like boxes of cereal, pasta and soupsback to Windsor-Essex.

"It really has turned in to a wonderful reciprocalrelationship," said MikeTurnbull, coordinator of thePlentiful Harvest Food RescueProgram at the Unemployed Help Centre.

One of the partners, Leamington, Ont.-based MastronardiProduce Limited, has donated 1.13 million kilograms(2.5million pounds) of fresh produce since 2014.

Saving unnecessary waste

"It helps them meet theirneed and helps us divert food from landfills, which is what we're all about," said JenWheatley, communications manager with MastronardiProduce.

The produceis also shipped up with frozen items from the Wheatley, Ont. Cavendish Farms operation.

"We know there's a need there so we're very proud and it is important to us to give back to the community," said Jodi Rowe, technical services manager with Cavendish Farms.

Rowe said they've donated more than 79,379 kilograms(175,000 pounds) of products like onion rings and battered vegetables in the past two years.

Benefits of food swapping

"We give them fresh vegetable and they give us some of their good stuff," said Ali Bazzi, the warehouse coordinator for the Unemployed Help Centrefood bank.

That good stuff is the pasta, cerealand other items that might be hard to come by among donations in southwestern Ontario.

"There's so many food products that we desperatelyneed here that we just don't have access to," said Turnbull.

Turnbull said the weekly food swap helps hundreds of food banks and associations throughout the year, but specifically helps familiesthat find themselves facing tough decisions.

"Produce is so expensive for folks that are making decisions whether to put food on their plate or pay the rent," he said.

Helping people

According to Bazzi, increased use of food banks means donations go very fast.

"A semi-truck comes in with 66 pallets and you think 'Oh my god, that's a lot food!" said Bazzi, butit empties quickly.

Bazzihas noticed the increased demand at the Unemployed Health Centre and said they're serving more clients than they used to.

He said they're not the only group that relies on those donations.

"Everybody's lacking food. They're all in the same boat."