Bringing fresh, affordable produce to the OVC community

A cluster of graduate students wait by a closed classroom door, student veterinarians clutching coffee cups en route to lecture and a professor fiddling with an excessive number of keys clogging up their lanyard –all common sights in the halls of the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) on a Monday afternoon.

What you might not expect to see is a line of students, faculty and staff snaking out of the OVC cafeteria. Near the front of the line is a chalkboard sign that could be straight off the streets of Ottawa’s Byward Market, reading OVC Food Market.

At the front of the line, ordinary cafeteria tables have transformed into a tiny grocery store – red plastic shopping baskets, display shelves and containers of the freshest produce, with chalkboard signs displaying a price range for each item.

While this might look like a grocery store squeezed into a college cafeteria, there is a reason that this market brings lineups of people from all walks of life on campus.

The OVC Food Market uses a “pay what you can” (PWYC) model where shoppers anonymously choose the price they are comfortable paying using a sliding scale – no questions asked. And everyone is welcome – staff, students, faculty and visitors from across campus are encouraged to shop.

Fresh produce is sourced from a local wholesaler. Careful research ensures that food prices are comparable or lower than those found at local grocery stores. Pricing spans anywhere from a 33% discount to paying market value.

By using a PWYC model, shoppers can access affordable food, while sustaining the market and supporting food security on campus. OVC's Food Market couldn’t come at a better time. Wellington-Dufferin Guelph saw an estimated 14% increase in food prices between 2022 and 2023.

“The initial idea for this market began with OVC’s Graduate Peer Helpers, a group of graduate students that volunteer as mentors and student leaders, who were interested in creating resources to support food security right here at OVC,” says Dr. Melissa Horne, OVC’s Advisor of Organizational Culture.

“We were fortunate to connect with the U of G Food Market team, who were excited to partner with us to pilot a market at OVC.”

The OVC Food Market became the newest of three weekly on-campus markets run by the U of G Food Market, a partnership between the Arrell Food Institute, the Guelph Lab and OVC. Now serving over 230 shoppers each week, the U of G Food Market sees an average of nearly 100 shoppers from OVC alone.

“The evolution of the market over the last six months has been incredible to be a part of,” says Horne. “Thanks to the amazing turnout and support of the OVC community each week, what started as a six-week trial quickly became a 12-week trial, which turned into summer pop-up markets… Our team was so inspired by the overwhelming participation from the OVC community and the success of the pilots, that we became determined to find a way to continue to operate the market long-term.”

After lots of hard work and planning, two donors emerged. The incredibly generous support of Pro Concepts Animal Health and a matching donation from their Director of National Sales and Marketing, Reuben D’Souza, will be helping to support the food market over the next five years.

In addition to countless volunteers and support staff, the market would not be able to run without the generous support of the Perry Family, PepsiCo Foundation, University of Guelph Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Fund, the Ontario Veterinary College and the many other donors who are making a difference with their support.

Horne adds, “our team is excited to announce that the OVC Food Market returned with its first market date for the Fall 2024 semester on Monday, September 16, 2024.” More details on this and future market dates are available for students, staff, faculty and visitors from across campus on the Intranet.

Dr. Brandon Lillie, Department of Pathobiology Chair and Associate Professor, treats marketgoers to a piano performance, featuring backup vocals by his newly purchased carrots.