From community gardens and award-winning cheese makers to restaurants and organizations that focus on reducing food waste or distribute food hampers, Waterloo Region’s culinary scene is vast.

And now there’s a new local food resource that aims to capture that scale.

The Waterloo Region Food Directory, at waterlooregionfood.ca, is a project of the Waterloo Region Food System Roundtable in collaboration with Open Food Network Canada.

“The directory features local businesses, local organizations and local initiatives that connect people to their food system, empowering them to learn how to eat local, grow local and give local,” explained Steffanie Scott, chair of the Roundtable.

The easy-to-use online resource launched in early October with 80 registrations to date. Using and submitting an ad is free.

It has more than a dozen categories, including farms, restaurants, community kitchens and prizes, all grouped under three headings: eat local, grow local and give local.

“I think it really reflects the values ​​of the Food Systems Roundtable, which is very much focused on community engagement, food justice and access to food,” Scott said.

Below are examples of the types of businesses you can find under each heading.

Eat local

While emergency food baskets are often what comes to mind when talking about food banks, the Cambridge Food Bank has the opportunity to give Cambridge residents access to affordable, fresh and healthy produce. .

Tuesday through Saturday, their mobile food market operates on a “pay what you can” model as it spans over a dozen stops throughout the city.

“We’re really looking for equity in how we run this program,” said Patrick Doyle, market coordinator. “We want everyone to be able to come and you can afford to pay just a few dollars or you can pay $20, $30 or $50, whatever you’re comfortable with. You’ll get a wonderful basket fresh food.

On average, the mobile food market sells between 1,000 and 1,500 kilograms of fresh produce every week.

She buys produce from local farmers and suppliers, except in winter when they buy from the Ontario Food Terminal. The Food Bank’s garden also supplies the market, harvesting approximately 4,500 kg of light green vegetables, such as kale and chard.

Develop locally

Many new Canadians come from cultures where growing food is a normal practice and they often cannot continue to do so here. The St. Petersburg Community Garden provides access to land with the opportunity to preserve this part of their food culture.

“Equity is really about opportunity,” said Doug Jones, president of the Waterloo Region Community Garden Network. “We’re creating an opportunity for people to grow culturally appropriate food. Growing it the way they want. And being able to grow food for their families and their communities that’s really important to them. “

The eight-hectare garden was inspired by KIVA, a microcredit program, as a concrete model establishing dignity and equality. Daryl Dore and Nicole Dore-Strickler rent the land from the organization, which then rents sections to participants.

This year, 33 family groups participated. Together they have created a community that includes sharing seeds and knowledge. Their potlucks are so successful that they are now considering hosting cooking classes.

Give local

The Anishnabeg Outreach Spirit Bundle program provides essentials like food, clothing, household items and baby items to approximately 400 Indigenous families or 1,500 individuals. Part of the food distributed is grown on their four-hectare farm in Breslau.

The farm does more than provide nutritional sustenance, it is part of healing through reconciliation.

“If we can help people heal, then we can also help them with the rest. Which would really be about food security,” said executive director Stephen Jackson. “The farm is really just a giant place where people come. They work together to achieve an outcome, learn about reconciliation and help Indigenous people.

Last year, about 4,000 corporate volunteers worked on the farm.

When sympathetic businesses and non-Native people come to the property, they contribute to the Anishnabeg outreach mission by working together. As a result, relationships and partnerships deepen, allowing the organization to develop new programs and provide additional community supports.