Cindy's Independent Grocer provides White Fox farm with unsaleable food items. (Facebook/North of the Torch Meats)

By Angie Rolheiser

Loop resource program

Loop program feeds area farm animals while tackling food waste

Feb 20, 2020 | 12:01 PM

A White Fox area farm is one of the latest beneficiaries of the Loop Resource Program that has recently partnered with Cindy’s Independent Grocer.

The program sees unsaleable food items at the grocery store go to area farms instead of the landfill.

North of the Torch Meats owner Bonnie Bilsky told northeastNOW they got their first load of food over the weekend.

“It is very exciting but also sad to know that the food was just going to go to the landfill and that is a daily basis thing,” Bilsky said. “Knowing that instead of that, a whole truckload of produce is going to my animals instead, I think is a win-win for everybody.”

Bilsky and her husband , Ryan, have on average about 30 pigs they sell for meat, as well as 20 head of sheep and around 140 laying birds on their farm north of White Fox.

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The Beeland Co-op in Tisdale also runs the program which is where Bilsky first heard of it.

“I signed up for it back in September and then they contacted me recently with the details that Independent in Melfort had got on board,” Bilsky said.

So far, 10 farms in total will be able to use the program for a trial basis as they get started. Eventually it will be seven farms scheduled for each day of the week for a pick-up. The other farms would be coverage farms for when one of the other seven can’t get to their pick-up.

“We don’t have a permanent schedule yet; we are just running through that temporary schedule and hopefully our farm will end up on the seven-day permanent schedule,” Bilsky said.

Benefits for the Bilsky farm will be reduced feed costs, and to increase the taste profile of their meat.

“We sell farm fresh pork and the taste profile comes up with having fresh food like that instead of all commercial foods or just grain,” Bilsky said.

Within Saskatchewan, stores that have the LOOP Resource Program include Saskatoon, Regina, and Yorkton.

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angie.rolheiser@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @Angie_Rolheiser