Members of team FUSION, the CentreWorks sponsored food accessibility initiative, were proud to share their first solution prototype with community members on April 9.

For the past 18 months, FUSION’s dedicated team of student volunteers have worked tirelessly with community members, gathering insights from conversations with both consumers and producers to understand the barriers to accessing nutritious local food. The team used these insights to develop the prototype. The event brought the process back to the community for their feedback and refinement.

After a brunch kicked off the morning, students presented FUSION’s prototype: an accessible and sustainable local fresh food market. The proposed market would be stocked entirely by local producers and include among its features a three-tiered, pay-what-you-can pricing system, delivery services for farmers and customers, and culinary and nutrition classes.

The prototype is geared not just toward providing residents with access to nutritious food, but also the cultivation of an inclusive and trusting community. With the store, team FUSION hopes to create an environment where all residents feel welcome, valued, and truly part of the community. After all, there’s nothing that brings people together quite like food!

Individuals and private organizations will be sought for collaboration and for implementation of the fresh food market. The announcement of the prototype was followed with lively discussion from community members, where team FUSION continued to gather the feedback at the heart of the process. While the event may have come to a close, the conversation is far from over. To learn more about FUSION and offer your own feedback, visit www.centreworks.org.