Cranbrook Food Recovery

22/04/2026

For Earth Day and Volunteer week we crunched some numbers!

In 2025, together we made a real impact in Cranbrook.

We diverted 139,062 kg of food from local grocery stores, farms and bakeries—food that would have otherwise gone to waste.

Of that:
• 28% went to farms, supporting animal feed and soil health
• 72% went directly to people—through programs, and to individuals and families across Cranbrook and the surrounding area

This is what community looks like: less waste, more connection, and more people fed.
Thank you to our partners, volunteers, and everyone helping make this happen. 💚

30/03/2026

Growing your own food is one of the best ways to build food security in our community.

Saving seeds takes it even further—helping preserve local crops and ensuring we can keep growing for years to come. 🌾

Small actions, big impact. Let’s grow and share together. 💚

Saving seeds from your own garden saves you money and helps you grow plants more suited to your home environment! Join us for a workshop all about saving seeds including how to plan your garden to avoid or encourage cross-pollination, how to select the best seeds for planting and basics about botany.

- free workshop
- free work book
- free seeds

Saturday, April 18 from 10 a.m. to 12 Noon.

Register by calling the Cranbrook Public Library at 250-426-4063. Cranbrook Public Library

23/02/2026

So you want to know more about our bin washing?

It’s a three-step process to keep them squeaky clean and food-safe every single time:

1. Wash with hot, soapy water
2. Sanitize thoroughly
3. Air dry

Every food bin is washed and sanitized after every single use, no shortcuts. It takes forever, but it’s 100% worth it to prevent cross-contamination and keep recovered food safe for our community.

Food recovery isn’t just about saving food, it’s about handling it with care every step of the way.

20/02/2026

Food recovery isn’t just about saving food — it’s about doing it safely. 🥕❄️

Here’s how we make sure the food we recover is safe, respected, and handled with care every step of the way:

• We work closely with grocery stores, clearly separating what’s fit for human consumption and what goes straight to farms — then our volunteers do a second careful sort
• We maintain the cold chain at all times. Food goes straight into coolers (dairy, deli, produce, bakery) or freezers (meat, frozen items, bakery) until program pickup
• Freezer and cooler temperatures are checked and logged daily
• Every recovery shift has a staff member or volunteer with Food Safe Level 1 overseeing safe handling practices
• All food bins are washed and sanitized every single use — it takes forever 😅 but it’s 100% worth it to prevent cross-contamination
• And our golden rule: when in doubt, we throw it out

Food recovery = care, accountability, and a whole lot of love for our community 💚
Because rescued food deserves the same respect as any other food.

15/02/2026

Love is sweet but so are recovered strawberries. Instead of letting perfectly good food go to waste, we’re giving it a second chance to be shared, enjoyed, and savored in our community. From careful sorting to safe storage, every step is done with heart. ❤️

Because nothing says “I care” like making sure good food makes it to someone’s plate.

Let’s spread the love a little further this season. 🍓

10/02/2026

We work very hard every day to redirect eatable food.

One issue we face everyday is the meaning of best before dates. Understanding “Best Before” and “Expiry” dates can help inform your decisions about food safety, food quality, and reducing food waste.

The best before date does not mean the food is safe or unsafe to eat. It means how long an unopened product will keep its quality (i.e., freshness, taste, nutritional value).

The expiry date does not mean the food is safe or unsafe to eat. It means the last day that the nutritional value is guaranteed. Consuming foods past the expiry date may mean the nutritional value of product is reduced.

12/01/2026

Hello Cranbrook! 2026 is here, and we're geared up for another year of saving good food and putting it to its highest use.
We need you!! Check out some work/volunteer opportunities below:

- Part time employment at Cranbrook Food Recovery: https://ca.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=a645f094b01233ac

Volunteers: we couldn't do what we do without our volunteers, and our volunteers tell us how satisfying the daily work of food recovery is. Join our volunteer team!
- 5:45-6:45pm on Friday or Sunday evenings: completing a quick food pickup from a retail location🍞🥐🚐
- 9:30-11:00am any day of the week: produce sorting, bin washing, helping to divvy up food for local community organizations 🍏🍇🍞
- Thursdays from 1-3pm: food processing - peeling carrots, slicing apples, dehydrating herbs...all sorts of fun tasks taking food recovery to the next level! 👩‍🍳
- Tue, Thu, Sat 9-12: riding along for food pickups, helping to load and unload recovered food. Bring your muscles, and join us at the gym of food recovery! Core workouts with a purpose!!💪💪

email us for more info: [email protected]

22/12/2025

E-CARDS ✨🎄🎅 For the person on your list who doesn't want or need anything, but loves a good cause, a charity e-card might be your best option! https://www.ccscranbrook.ca/get-involved/donate/holiday-e-card-donations/

Just fill out their name and email, pick a card design (we have these five available) and enter your information for your payment and tax receipt. You can even select the specific program area you want to direct your donation to.

It's so easy you can do it from the comfort of your couch, or... ummm... throne?

Happy holidays to all who have given their time, funds and heart to our organization this year! You're all the BEST.

E-cards: https://www.ccscranbrook.ca/get-involved/donate/holiday-e-card-donations/

04/12/2025

This awesome meal was delivered to four Cranbrook schools on Wednesday… and trust us, we wish you could taste it!
A warm, flavourful curry paired with fresh local greens; nourishing, comforting, and crafted with care.

Even better? It’s available to all students on a pay-what-you-can scale, because good food should be accessible to everyone.

We don’t think it gets any better than that!
Supporting kids, using local ingredients, and serving up deliciousness across our community — that’s what we’re all about.

From Our Farm to Your Fork

Our greens are popping up all over Cranbrook including in the SD5 Hot Lunch Program!

We love supplying fresh, local, nutrient-rich lettuce to keep our community thriving. Here’s to good food and nourished students!

05/11/2025

Processing Party Success

Last week we made 52 apple crisps for our community! Thank you to Margo's Farm in Creston for the beautiful apples!

We would love to have more helping hands at this week’s session Thursday, 1–3 PM.

If you’d like to join in, send us a message for more details. Let’s keep the good food and good company rolling.

04/11/2025

Throwback to six years ago when the amazing Mark Locki created this wonderful video for us!

Our faces might look a little younger and we’ve moved locations a few times, but our message remains the same: no one wants to see good food go to waste.