KSA hosts free fresh produce events at KPU campuses

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The Kwantlen Students Association’s Sustainable KSA and Member Services held a “Farm-to-Table Fiesta” fresh produce event at Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s Surrey campus courtyard on July 25. 

The event was hosted in collaboration with the Sustainable Agriculture Student Association (SASA), and will be held again at KPU’s Tech and Langley campuses on Aug. 1 and 8 respectively from noon to 1:00 pm. 

There is no event scheduled for the Richmond campus due to an existing community fridge that provides free fresh produce to students there. No event was scheduled for the Civic Plaza campus either due to low student traffic and limited space, but member services is looking into ways to organize the event there in the future so students are able to access their services. 

The event aims to support students struggling due to the economy in addition to promoting healthy eating and highlighting SASA’s efforts. 

Between 10 to 15 bags of produce from the KPU Richmond Farm School, including cucumbers, zucchinis, turnips, lettuce, beets, and eggplants, were given out to students at the event on a first come, first serve basis. The bags include different vegetables each week depending on the harvest. 

Under the Free Fresh Produce Program, students are eligible to sign up to receive organic and locally harvested produce biweekly at the Surrey campus Member Services Office. The event was held to expand this program to other KPU campuses and make produce accessible, says Surrey Member Services Specialist Akshleen Kaur. 

“These veggies are produced organically [by] the students,” she says. 

The program, which runs in the summer, provides vegetables to the first 15 students who sign up. Akshleen says the “Farm-to-Table Fiesta” event was organized to avoid wasting the remaining produce left from the program. 

“This is quite popular among students, a lot of students did ask for this.”

Akshleen says if this year’s event runs smoothly, they are planning to continue with it in the future. 

“Events like this are enforcing equity and equality, and everybody’s able to get access to free food,” says Jasleen Kaur, a volunteer at the event. 

“International students, especially, are facing a lot of financial insecurity. So with events like this, we can potentially make their lives better.” 

These kinds of events are not only important for the students who can’t afford produce but are also motivational for students who are helping run the event, says Roopleen Kaur Chhabra, a student pursuing business management at KPU. 

“[Students’] hard work is going into use, rather than wasting anything,” she says. 

Akshleen says in addition to easing the financial burden on students, the event also encourages and supports the work of students at the Richmond Farm School.  

“Being a student association, I think it is really important to host events like these, because we need to show students [that] … we are doing something for them.”

For more information about the Free Fresh Produce Program, visit kusa.ca/free-fresh-produce-program/.