Two Horticulture Technician program students at Niagara College are helping their peers access fresh, healthy food at an accessible price.
With the help of United Way Golden Horseshoe (UWGH) and support from several on-campus partners, Hayley Rempel and Rebecca MacLean have brought the Student Produce and Pantry Market to the Daniel J. Patterson Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
Located steps from the Teaching Greenhouse, the pop-up market is open on Tuesday’s from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. The student duo from St. Catharines – inspired by their summer co-op growing vegetables at the Teaching Greenhouse – have created a welcoming space for students to grab fresh, in-season produce through a pay-what-you-can, take what you need model.
“Students give what they can, and even a few extra dollars helps and goes back in to supporting the program through the purchase of non-perishable, pantry items for future markets,” said MacLean. “We started with pantry items inspired by our go-to college meals that you don’t need a lot of cooking experience for.”
Horticulture professor Nicole Toope says that the rising prices of groceries and limited public transportation can make accessing healthy food more difficult for students.
“None of our students should ever struggle when it comes to food, and our goal is to do what we can to support our students at NC,” said Toope.
While Residence offers weekly organized grocery bus trips for students, the on-campus market provides convenient access to essentials between trips.
The bulk of fresh fruits and vegetables have been generously donated by the UWGH & NC Garden Hub, facilitated by NC alum Luke Baulk (Horticultural Technician Co-op, 2023) who has overseen the United Way Garden on campus since 2022.
“I love supporting this initiative,” said Baulk. “I’m proud to be a part of this.”
Since the UWGH & NC Garden Hub first took root, NC’s Horticulture students have helped it grow. Over the years, the garden has produced thousands of pounds of produce for more than a dozen of United Way’s community partners.
“Produce from the UWGH NC Garden Hub supports local food banks, meal programs, and other low-cost produce markets across the region,” said Baulk.
Baulk helps ensure no produce goes to waste. Any surplus from the student-run market is redirected through a network of community partners to where it’s needed most, ensuring fresh food reaches more people rather than going to waste.
Additional fresh produce is grown on campus through student growing initiatives in the Teaching Greenhouse. Baked goods also make an appearance at the weekly market, donated by students in NC’s School of Culinary Arts.
The structure itself was built by students in the Carpentry and Renovation Technician program to provide flexible space for seasonal retail activations at the greenhouse.
The Niagara College Student Administrative Council, NCSAC, is supportive of the grassroots initiative, which compliments their emergency grocery gift card program through the Nourishing Minds Fund. NCSAC also runs the free, Rise and Shine Breakfast program on campus three days each week.
“If we meet a student who may need more than we’re able to provide, NCSAC has empowered us to direct those students to additional resources, like the grocery gift card program,” said Rempel.
“Students have been making stuff at home and coming back and showing us which is super cool. We’re excited to see that it’s having an impact even if it’s only been a few weeks,” said Rempel.
In the greenhouse, Horticulture students will continue nurturing new crops through the winter months to supply the weekly market.
“We want to thank our bosses at the Greenhouse, Matt, Laurie, Nicole and Andrew for letting us, as students, do this,” said Rempel.
Rempel and MacLean say that Welland Campus students are also welcome to access the market. They hope to inspire other students to start their own market at that campus in the future.
