Saskatchewan's first nutrition coupon program launches at Regina Farmers' Market

Alex Kozroski · CBC News

· Posted: Jul 10, 2025 7:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 5 hours ago

YWCA Regina and the Regina Farmers' Market are rolling retired a nutrition coupon programme for radical facing nutrient insecurity.

With support from the YWCA, radical tin get $20 vouchers and families tin get $60 vouchers each week for caller nutrient and preserved nutrient each summer. That's up to $840 worthy of nutrient implicit 14 weeks for radical who wouldn't different person access.

Tanya Bunnie is simply a parent who visited the marketplace successful Victoria Park this week to usage her vouchers.

"Berries are out, truthful I'm hoping to get immoderate berries and possibly immoderate caller carrots oregon potatoes, "Bunnie said. "I person six small ones and they'll emotion this."

Mackenzie Thiessen, a squad pb successful the YWCA's outreach area, said she was gladsome to spot a lawsuit entree caller produce.

"[Bunnie] ran done our structure programs, she's reunited with her kids and arsenic acold arsenic I cognize she's doing great," Thiessen said.

Thiessen said each coupon functions similar currency and is valid for the week for caller and preserved nutrient items astatine the farmers' market. Unclaimed vouchers get recycled into funds to bargain nutrient for the assemblage kitchen.

"Our anticipation is that our families and our assemblage travel and get immoderate caller nutrient and if not, it comes backmost to our outreach country truthful that we tin springiness it each to our houseless clientele."

The 14-week programme is the archetypal of its benignant successful Saskatchewan, but took inspiration from akin programs successful British Columbia, Manitoba and Nova Scotia. Unlike those different programs, it's funded wholly by assemblage donations and firm sponsorship.

Regina Farmers' Market enforcement manager Holly Laird said that the programme is simply a affirmative initiative for the market's 50th twelvemonth of operation.

"When the vendors get the coupons, they tin redeem them close distant astatine our accusation booth for cash, truthful they're not retired immoderate wealth for immoderate magnitude of time," Laird said.

"It's a truly bully mode that we tin enactment the radical successful our assemblage who are struggling and possibly request a manus to entree the market, but besides enactment our section farmers, producers and nutrient makers."

Laird said everything astatine the farmers' marketplace is made, baked, grown oregon designed successful Saskatchewan. She besides said that they are accepting fiscal and nutrient donations from individuals, organizations and businesses.