LUSH Valley Food Action Society, Comox Valley, Vancouver Island, BC
Grant term, 2025-2026
Our Healthy Student Meal Program works with schools throughout the Comox Valley to increase students’ access to nutritious meals and snacks made with fresh, locally grown ingredients. By introducing students to seasonal foods grown in their own community, we help foster healthy eating habits while supporting local agriculture and strengthening regional food security.
Thanks to funding from the School Food Infrastructure Fund, LUSH Valley purchased a dedicated delivery van equipped with a refrigerated cold storage unit. This investment has transformed our ability to safely transport fresh, locally sourced food to schools throughout the region.
Previously, transporting perishable food required multiple vehicles, portable coolers, and careful coordination, limiting the volume of fresh produce we could distribute and creating logistical challenges during the busy harvest season. The new refrigerated delivery van has streamlined our operations, allowing us to transport larger quantities of fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and other perishable foods while maintaining food safety and quality from farm to school.
The improved transportation infrastructure has also strengthened our relationships with local farmers by enabling us to purchase and distribute more seasonal produce when it is abundant. This means students are enjoying a greater variety of fresh, local foods while learning about the importance of supporting regional agriculture and sustainable food systems.
Beyond schools, the refrigerated delivery system has enhanced our ability to collaborate with community partners, including K’ómoks First Nation, by improving the safe transportation of locally grown food and strengthening community food access initiatives. The infrastructure has created efficiencies that benefit multiple programs and has increased our capacity to respond to the growing demand for healthy, locally sourced food across the Comox Valley.
As one school partner shared:
“The new refrigerated delivery van has made a noticeable difference in the freshness and reliability of the food arriving at our school. Students are enjoying more local fruits and vegetables, and we know the food is arriving safely and in excellent condition. It’s been a tremendous investment in both our students and our local food system.”
The School Food Infrastructure Fund has provided more than just new equipment—it has created lasting infrastructure that will continue to benefit students, schools, local farmers, and the broader community for years to come. By strengthening our capacity to transport fresh, local food safely and efficiently, the grant has helped build a more resilient regional food system where children have greater access to nutritious meals and a stronger connection to the people who grow their food.
