Dartmouth, N.S., community hub gets $40K for food preparation program

The North Grove community centre gets a generous boost to help with their Primrose Preserves.

The North Grove, a community hub in Dartmouth, N.S., is getting $40,000 to launch a food preparation and skill development program.

The East Coast Credit Union is awarding $40,000 to the North Grove for its Primrose Preserves program, which will teach participants entrepreneurial skills while also generating revenue for the organization’s other community programs.

“The jams, jellies and chutneys produced will be sold by the organization online and at local markets this spring, using ingredients sourced from local producers and The North Grove’s community farm,” a news release reads. “This farm-to-table approach strengthens connections between participants and consumers, while promoting food literacy and employment skills.”

Every year, East Coast Credit Union’s Community Compass Grant spends $150,000 on social enterprise and cooperative projects in Nova Scotia.

“Winning this grant from East Coast Credit Union allows us to transform a monthly Food Skills program into a thriving social enterprise that benefits this community,” said Laura Horn, executive director at the North Grove, in the release. “We’re excited to see participants gain skills and confidence while contributing to a meaningful shared project.”

In an interview with CTV News Atlantic, Horn said they opened the food centre 10 years ago and noticed apple trees growing outside.

“The staff thought, ‘What can we do with apples? Let’s come up with something,’ and so they started a preserving program,” Horn said. “At the moment we have a monthly program at the North Grove for people to come and preserve items together and be part of it that way, but what this Compass Grant will allow us to do is take it to the next level.”

-With files from CTV News Atlantic’s Emma Convey

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