ENACTUS
Saint Mary's University
The world produces enough food to feed EVERY SINGLE PERSON.
So why are there people still hungry and unable to access this food? Well, in Canada alone, $31 billion dollars of perfectly good food each year ends up in landfills or composters.
So we created a solution. Working with YOU, Square Roots redirects food that would otherwise go to waste, into the hands of the people in our communities that need it most.
How? Social Pricing!
Our Produce bundles base cost is $7.50. Customers can pay $10 if they can afford it or $7.50 if they can’t. The $2.50 difference from $10 purchases goes to community managers to help them continue their work through Square Roots. And it’s this social pricing that enables us to provide free produce options for those in need.
But that’s not all! We also partner with local restaurants and breweries to provide $5 Food Tokens and delicious Zero Waste Signature beverages too!
Inspired? Our website is being updated, but in the meantime we invite you to visit our Facebook Page to find out more and connect!
Our Facebook PageFind Us Here
Our current Square Roots Communities:
Upper Tantallon, Sackville, Musquodoboit, Bedford, Dartmouth, Fairview/Clayton Park, Hydrostone Halifax, Preston, South End Halifax, Windsor
Featured
Food Bundle Services
Our Food Bundle Services are the heart of how we tackle food insecurity and food waste in Nova Scotian communities.
We purchase seconds produce in bulk from local farmers – just as tasty and nutritious but not quite pretty enough for grocery stores. We sort these into 10 lbs bundles which you can order online. They typically include a selection of delicious, seasonal root vegetables and fruits.
If you’re able to pay the $10 bundle price, $2.50 is donated towards providing food bundles for the food insecure in your communities. If you can’t pay the full $10, you can simply buy your food bundle at cost for $7.50.
If you are among the food insecure in one of our Square Roots Nova Scotian communities, please CLICK HERE to apply for our Free Bundle Service!
Connect on our Facebook Page for more info and to inquire about the Square Roots location closest to you!
Square Roots Token Program
The Square Roots Token Program is yet another innovative way for us to realize our mission of reducing food waste while making food more affordable.
It gives customers the opportunity to enjoy a delicious meal while helping local restaurants use up their surplus meal ingredients. How does it work? You purchase a $5 Token at a retail location and then redeem it at a partnered restaurant! That’s 5 meals for ONLY $25!
Not only can you use the Token for yourself, but next time you purchase a Token, think about giving it to someone who you think may need a meal a little more than you that day.
We’re currently working on a mobile app version to make buying and redeeming tokens even easier. We’ll let you know when it’s ready!
If you’re a retail location or restaurant in one of our Square Roots Communities who would like to participate in our Tokens program, please contact us via our Facebook page. We’d love to partner with you!
Connect on our Facebook page for more info!
Square Root Beverages
Beverages was a perfect extension to fit the Square Roots model of using good food that would otherwise be wasted as input.
Our initial program was piloted by Enactus Saint Mary’s Students and Boxing Rock Brewing Co. who created a zero-waste beer with seconds carrots. The Beer was appropriately named “14 Carrot Gold” to signify the juice from 1.4 Carrots in each 650mL bottle.
The spent grain from the beer was given to farmers as animal feed, and the liquid yeast was donated to the Saint Mary’s Science department for use in research projects.
The beer not only had an earthy rich undertone, but also sold out in just over two weeks, helping get the story of Square Roots into the hands of consumers all over Nova Scotia.
Since this pilot, Square Roots Beverages has partnered with many other breweries, cideries, and other beverage providers in Nova Scotia. We’re looking to create more partnerships and to keep using seconds fruits and vegetables from our farms as core ingredients in the drinks we love and share.
If you’re a Nova Scotia Brewery who’d love to partner to create your own delicious zero waste brew, please contact us via our Facebook Page to contact us!
Our Wonderful Volunteers!
As a not-for-profit social enterprise, we are sustained by our amazing volunteers who help us with bundle packaging, orders, and pick ups as well as a whole host of other essential roles that keep us up and running!Are you as passionate about reducing food waste and contributing to providing healthy food to those in need in your community as we are? Please contact us with your interest – we’d love your help!