The 2013 Toronto Public Health and Food Flow research indicated the need for the Food Flow Facility, a social enterprise that will provide commercial scale food processing for agencies. It will also incorporate other services such as a community freezer, food skills training, a mobile kitchen, and distribution through partners.
With funding from the Toronto Enterprise Fund and Ontario Trillium Foundation, the Food Flow project completed a feasibility study for the Food Flow Facility. We assessed the following three possible scenarios: 1) A new space based/near partner agencies; 2) Rental in a partner’s existing space; and 3) A mobile food processing kitchen. The feasibility study indicated that the partner space option in combination with the mobile kitchen would have the most impact and address a range of needs.
Now we are developing a full business plan, consulting agencies on services they could use, and assessing opportunities for processing that will meet the community food sector’s needs.
Do you have thoughts on services the Food Flow Services could offer your agency? Let us know! We are consulting with agencies over the next couple of months through one-on-one meetings, focus groups, and online surveys. We would love to hear from you!
The Food Flow Facility will provide (but not limited to) following services, programs, and healthy processed products that
Services and Programs
- processing surplus donations (to agencies or food banks)
- access to processing for farm seconds
- training in processing
- training in food skills for work placement
- centralized storage
- aggregated purchasing of fresh fruits and vegetables
- others (possible collaborations for equipment purchasing)
Healthy Processed Products
- canned tomatoes
- canned other vegetables and fruit
- frozen vegetables and fruit
- frozen sauces
- frozen soup stock and pureed
- dehydrated fruits and vegetables
- baked goods (sub-choices: bread, granola bars, muffins, granola, cereal)
- frozen meat
- others (e.g. ketchup or dressing)
