Latest / The Future Herd / 13: Treska Watson on Collaboration, Waste, and the Signal of Hunger

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13: Treska Watson on Collaboration, Waste, and the Signal of Hunger · The Future Herd

0:01
Jesse Hirsh: Hi, I'm Jesse Hirsh.
0:03
Welcome to The Future Herd.
0:12
Here's a paradox for you.
0:14
Canada feeds the world and yet right here at home, thousands of people
0:19
face food insecurity every single day.
0:23
So what gives today on the podcast, Tresco Watson joins me to unpack
0:29
that tension from the front lines.
0:32
She's at the Mustard Seed Street Church in Victoria, British Columbia, where
0:37
they've turned food rescue into an art form 3.1 million pounds diverted
0:44
last year, distributed through a network of over 65 community partners.
0:51
But Tresco is not just moving food, she's moving the needle on how we
0:56
think about hunger, dignity, and what it means to truly feed a community.
1:01
In this episode, we'll get into why best before dates are more suggestion than law.
1:07
Spoiler, that yoghourt in your fridge is probably still fine, and we'll talk about
1:13
how choice-based food bank model restores.
1:16
Dignity instead of dispensing charity.
1:20
And what happens when you create a space like View Field?
1:24
A warehouse where farmers, chefs, educators, and food rescuers don't just
1:28
coexist, they collide, they collaborate.
1:32
Maybe even they conspire.
1:35
Oh, and will blue sky a future?
1:37
Whereas Tresco puts it, in a perfect world, maybe our jobs wouldn't even exist.
1:44
Ambitious.
1:45
Maybe necessary.
1:48
Absolutely.
1:49
Ready?
1:51
Let's do it.
1:55
Treska, welcome to the Future Herd.
1:57
Treska: Thank you so much.
1:58
Thanks for having me.
1:59
Jesse Hirsh: Now, I, I've gotten into the habit of throwing a very
2:02
abstract and wild first question.
2:06
Uh, to start off my conversation with folks.
2:08
It's kind of a litmus test, but it's really an invitation
2:12
to take it wherever you wish.
2:14
What does the future mean to you?
2:19
Treska: Yeah.
2:19
Wow.
2:19
That's a big question.
2:20
Jesse.
2:22
does the future mean to me?
2:23
Well, I mean, the future means a lot of things to me.
2:26
I think, uh, where we're sitting globally right now is there are
2:31
a lot of folks living in fear.
2:33
Uh, and, and fear is a really big, you know, motivator for some, and, and driver
2:38
for some, uh, but our, the organisation that I'm, I'm lucky enough to be a part
2:43
of and lead is, uh, rooted in hope.
2:46
So the future to me, uh, still has hope and has, there's lots of hope
2:51
to be, to be focused on, and, and as you said in our, uh, pre-interview,
2:56
sometimes I like to blue sky it, and in the face of all this fear.
3:01
I'm just
3:02
Jesse Hirsh: Time really trying.
3:03
Treska: in hope and stay in, stay in the positive.
3:05
And what, what can be done?
3:07
What can we fix?
3:07
How can we affect change?
3:09
Uh, because the fear is everywhere, everywhere you look.
3:12
So I think that's what the, right now, that's what the future means
3:14
to me, uh, more than ever is hope.
3:17
Jesse Hirsh: Right on.
3:18
And, and I, I'm the same.
3:20
I, I look to the horizon.
3:21
I look to the blue sky, uh, for a sense of hope, for a sense of possibility.
3:26
And there is much I I want to get into today in terms of talking
3:29
about the Mustard Street, uh, the Mustard Seed Street Church,
3:33
and the work that you guys do.
3:35
But to your point of what you evoked in that sense of fear a, around the future,
3:41
uh, let's start with the word food security and the concept of food security.
3:46
'cause I think for a lot of people, it's something that's kind of
3:50
there in the framework, but they don't think about very often.
3:54
And similarly, I suspect you're gonna unpack it in a manner that may not.
4:00
The traditional kind of policy, wonk definition, but is something that is maybe
4:06
a little more meaningful for, for folks who food, uh, insecurity is something
4:12
that they're facing on a regular basis.
4:15
Treska: Great, uh, great intro.
4:17
I mean, I do a lot of work in food security as you call it, but the
4:22
Jesse Hirsh: The truth of the work that we do here.
4:23
Treska: Seed Street Church is really, truly meeting people in
4:27
the depths of food insecurity.
4:29
And that is, uh, you know, the flip side to that coin that maybe
4:32
isn't talked about as frankly and as openly, uh, as it should be.
4:36
Food security is a funny term.
4:38
You know, my family and friends for a long time when I started working
4:41
with this organisation, didn't really understand what food security was.
4:44
They didn't have a sense of what we were doing or what the larger mission was.
4:48
And I, I get that, uh, and I am grateful to COVID for that of all things.
4:53
Uh, COVID brought a lot of blessings and one of them was that, uh, food security
4:57
started being talked about around many more tables when folks started to realise
5:02
how connected our sectors were, how connected our world is, our food systems.
5:07
You know, food security became a real, a real topic for people.
5:11
People started wondering where their food was coming from a little bit more.
5:13
They started realising that food was not as stable as they thought it was,
5:17
and I am grateful for that because the work that we do every day, I mean, we,
5:21
we have a large food rescue programme.
5:23
I'm sure we'll talk about that at some point in this, in this gathering.
5:26
But we also operate a food bank.
5:28
And so I see the evidence of food insecurity daily
5:31
walking through our doors.
5:33
Yeah.
5:34
I don't know if that fully answers your question, but I went off on a
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little bit of a COVID tangent there.
5:38
Jesse Hirsh: No, but relevant because it, it speaks to kind of one of the, the, the
5:42
focuses of this podcast, which is literacy and, and fostering greater literacy of our
5:48
food systems, greater literacy of all the.
5:51
Elements or, or, uh, uh, weak points, for lack of a better phrase
5:56
that our current food system has.
5:58
And I agree.
6:00
One of the, the, the kind of silver linings of, of the pandemic has been the
6:05
way in which food security and the price of food, let alone where food comes from.
6:11
Has become more visible, more legible, uh, uh, for people to understand.
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So, you know, before we, I, I do wanna talk about kind of how the, the
6:20
food bank in particular, but the, the larger food system that you're engaging
6:25
with, some of the insights, some of the, the new ways of operating, but.
6:30
But before we get there, let, let's unpack the food insecurity a bit more.
6:34
'cause I think to your point, you, you have a perspective on the, dare
6:39
I say it, the pervasiveness of food insecurity that a lot of people
6:43
either don't see or don't want to see.
6:46
But it, it speaks to an element of our food system that's kind of
6:50
contradictory, which is that people are food insecure, uh, in, in a country
6:56
where we're feeding the world ironically.
6:59
Uh, so I'd love for you to kind of unpack that a little further so that you
7:03
know, those of listening and watching, uh, who may not be as familiar as you
7:08
are in, in terms of the nature of.
7:11
Uh, again, how food insecurity is something that is not in isolation, but
7:15
is something that is actually kind of prevalent, uh, throughout our country.
7:20
Treska: Sure.
7:20
Yeah.
7:21
I mean, there's so many
7:22
Jesse Hirsh: Yeah.
7:22
Treska: can go with that.
7:22
Food security, food insecurity, pardon me, is really prevalent and
7:26
that's a big part of the work that we do, uh, with the food banking.
7:29
You know, we see just about anybody you can think of, walk through
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our doors, gone are the days of.
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Knowing what
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Jesse Hirsh: what type of client inmates we're going to be
7:38
Treska: at a food bank.
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Food
7:39
Jesse Hirsh: when security impacts everyth
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Treska: And that is, you know, back to that COVID pandemic
7:43
Jesse Hirsh: pandemic conversation.
7:44
Something that I think a lot
7:45
Treska: became far more aware of.
7:47
We are of course on Vancouver Island, so we are all often talking about
7:51
the unique, uh, situation that we
7:53
Jesse Hirsh: find selves
7:54
Treska: Should there be, uh.
7:55
A major
7:56
Jesse Hirsh: your limit
7:57
Treska: an earthquake for instance, how long would we have before we
8:00
would be in a bad situation here on the island if we were cut off
8:03
Jesse Hirsh: cut off.
8:03
Treska: food systems of the mainland?
8:05
You know?
8:06
So we're constantly having conversations at many tables that I sit at around how we
8:10
Jesse Hirsh: How
8:11
Treska: a more stable food system, how we create a more local.
8:14
Stable food economy and, and food insecurities is at the root of all of
8:18
Jesse Hirsh: of
8:18
Treska: back to that fear versus hope.
8:19
You know, you have to be real, you have to be realistic about what's
8:22
possible and what could happen.
8:24
Uh, we've had all sorts of things happen to us in the last few years.
8:27
One year we were
8:28
Jesse Hirsh: ordering our
8:29
Treska: ordered our
8:29
Jesse Hirsh: order.
8:29
Treska: hampers, and then the floods in BC happened.
8:32
All of the highways washed out and all of
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Jesse Hirsh: All of our product,
8:35
Treska: side of that flood.
8:36
So we had to, you know, do.
8:38
We had to pivot, which is a word that not everyone likes to hear after, uh,
8:41
years of using it in, in the pandemic.
8:43
But we really, we had to pivot quickly and we
8:45
Jesse Hirsh: we
8:46
Treska: figure out
8:46
Jesse Hirsh: figure out call,
8:47
Treska: 1200 families at Christmas time with, with no supplies or not, at least
8:51
Jesse Hirsh: at least
8:51
Treska: supplies that we thought were coming.
8:53
So, you know, I think that
8:54
Jesse Hirsh: I think there's
8:55
Treska: and, and conversely the conversation around food
8:57
Jesse Hirsh: security,
8:58
Treska: for everyone.
8:59
Everyone
8:59
Jesse Hirsh: everyone has.
9:00
So
9:00
Treska: That food is
9:01
Jesse Hirsh: you just, where folks come together and work community together and
9:05
um, I think quite like Victoria and we see it is very likely to be able to live here,
9:09
Treska: is not an inexpensive city to live in.
9:11
I think that it's tied to so many other parts of what's going
9:14
on in our world, whether that.
9:15
Be wages, uh, rental costs, all sorts of things.
9:19
The cost of living, of course, gas now with, uh, with, uh,
9:21
everything that's going on in the world, gasoline and skyrocketing.
9:24
You know,
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Jesse Hirsh: you know,
9:25
Treska: not
9:26
Jesse Hirsh: not
9:26
Treska: It's not easy to make
9:27
Jesse Hirsh: innovation and.
9:28
Treska: And every day I meet people and talk with people that, you know, have to
9:32
make terrible decisions between whether or not they buy diapers or pay rent.
9:35
And that's the reality of food insecurity.
9:37
And, and that affects everyone, probably more people than you realise.
9:42
Jesse Hirsh: Well, and the, the cascading effect that it creates,
9:46
that when people are hungry, they're not able to make the right decisions.
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And you know, when they have, uh, housing insecurity, food security becomes even
9:56
more pronounced because they're having stress 'cause they're not eating and
9:59
they're, again, it starts to get in there.
10:02
But there's another element to this that I feel is invisible to most
10:06
people that you sort of alluded to, but also gets into another.
10:10
Key role that your organisation plays, which is food rescue, food
10:15
reclamation, re recognising that a lot of people don't realise moving
10:20
food and the labour of moving food is a key element of our system that in,
10:26
in my words, is prone to dysfunction.
10:29
But it's why the work you guys are doing is so important because when
10:33
you start to understand how much food is wasted, how much food, you know.
10:38
Good and should be eaten by people who are hungry.
10:42
But you need to your point about the flood, get it to those people, get it
10:45
to those communities compounded when you're on an island, uh, as well.
10:50
So help me understand that.
10:52
Help me unpack that because on the one hand IP think people
10:55
think of food banks as, you know, a place where people can get.
10:59
Food, but there's a distribution, there's a system, there's labour
11:03
elements to all of that, that a, a again, address these larger issues
11:09
of food security and food insecurity.
11:11
That, that I'd love for you to unpack and, and, and give some insights into
11:15
the work you guys are doing and, and the stuff you that you're learning.
11:20
Treska: Sure.
11:20
Absolutely.
11:21
So our
11:22
Jesse Hirsh: our organisation.
11:23
Treska: it's a big organisation and the food bank is
11:26
Jesse Hirsh: Think is a really important piece of work that we do, so
11:28
Treska: also
11:28
Jesse Hirsh: are also fortunate them to run,
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Treska: uh, what we call our food security distribution centre.
11:32
And so the Mustard Seed operates a food rescue programme.
11:35
Uh, we started with.
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11 Thrifty Foods, grocery stores rescuing about 400,000
11:40
pounds of food, um, per year.
11:43
Uh, and that
11:44
Jesse Hirsh: and that was great.
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Treska: small programme and it, and it worked really well.
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And, and, and that food was distributed to a group of nonprofit agencies
11:50
in the Victoria area that we like to call the Food Share Network.
11:54
Uh, and that programme was going strong when I came on,
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uh, to the Mustard Seed in 2019.
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Little did I know what was around the corner in 2020.
12:02
So my focus and mandate was just to.
12:04
Grow our food rescue programme and just really get, get more involved
12:08
in the community, see if we could grow it, see if we could, uh,
12:11
expand both our reach and, and our access to some of that rescued food.
12:15
And rescued food is an interesting topic.
12:17
You know, it's, it's certainly something, uh, that we benefit from.
12:21
And, and we, last year we rescued 3.1 million pounds of food from
12:25
Jesse Hirsh: Right on.
12:26
Treska: partners.
12:27
So it has grown.
12:28
I mean, it's, we've gone from 11 stores to 33 stores.
12:31
We've added a lot of farms to, to our, uh, compliment as well.
12:35
And now 3.1 million pounds of food came through the centre last
12:38
year, and we're incredibly proud of that and grateful for that.
12:41
But as you say, I mean, that takes a great deal of work and coordination.
12:44
We have three trucks on the road five days a week.
12:46
We have a whole team of volunteers that has to sort through that food.
12:50
A lot of what comes through our doors is, is wonderful high quality product.
12:53
And that's, you know, that's a part that we should probably get
12:56
into about how broken that system is and how, you know, why does
12:59
that food end up in our warehouse?
13:01
But to, to your point, you know, food rescue is a really big initiative and it's
13:04
something that really has a huge impact.
13:06
That 3.1 million pounds of food last year went out to now over.
13:09
65 agencies across our region.
13:12
And so those are community food kitchens, free pantries, student run
13:17
initiatives, uh, seniors housing, cooking facilities, anywhere that is
13:22
operating a nonprofit that wants to share, uh, food and, and build community.
13:27
Is what we're all about.
13:28
And of course with that volume of food, some of it goes to our food bank, but we
13:31
certainly can't utilise all that food.
13:33
So our mandate is to get that out to as many partners as possible and
13:37
reach as many people as possible.
13:39
We did do an impact report, uh, a couple of years ago with our Food
13:42
Share network members, which are, you know, as I said, over 65 agencies
13:46
picking up at our warehouse every day.
13:48
And we know that that food is reaching over 65,000 people per month in Victoria.
13:55
Now that is a great deal of people, but when you think about Victoria's population
13:59
and food insecurity, that actually attracts at least 10% of our population
14:03
is what I would consider food insecure.
14:05
And so that's what's happening in our food rescue programme and,
14:08
and it's having a massive impact.
14:09
It's not the solution, but it's certainly a big part of the puzzle right now for us.
14:14
Jesse Hirsh: And it's a part of the puzzle that I wish more people could
14:18
see and more people could understand.
14:20
You know, partly because of your point about labour, right?
14:24
That I, I certainly know, you know, I, I'm in Ontario and I, I know
14:28
people in Ottawa and Toronto who.
14:31
If they understood the opportunity of food rescue, if they understood the
14:35
opportunity to not just supply food banks, but supply an entire ecosystem
14:42
of social agencies and community groups and you know, youth centres.
14:47
That is impact, like that's the kind of impact that makes people
14:50
feel really good about the time and labour that they're putting into.
14:53
So on the one hand, I feel this gets back to the literacy piece, right?
14:57
Of as people put more attention and interest in where their
15:00
food comes from, we get into the side of where's your food going?
15:05
Like if it can only last five days at the store, what happens at day six?
15:10
Right?
15:10
And, and on the one hand.
15:13
The work you're doing is phenomenal from a food security perspective.
15:16
I, I do want to tease out from you some of the thoughts you have that
15:20
you're seeing from this perspective.
15:22
Like I'm hypothesising that maybe there are issues with packaging that we could be
15:27
creating regulations around so that it's not difficult when you guys are dealing
15:32
with products that are gonna be thrown out and there's all sorts of plastic.
15:36
And there's all sorts of other things that are convenient for
15:39
the consumer, but not convenient.
15:42
If we want a sustainable food system that makes sure that there is no waste,
15:46
that all this, I, again, I'm digressing here, but I'm curious from, you know,
15:51
on the one hand you're talking about the impact, on the one hand you're talking
15:55
about the kind of logistics of it all, of having these trucks going out there.
15:59
But you know, to take a digression, you know, from your leadership
16:03
perspective of having a view of this system that many people don't,
16:08
what are some of those solutions?
16:10
What are some of the pain points?
16:11
What are some of the opportunities that other people wouldn't see because
16:16
they're not seeing the extent to which all this food can and should be diverted
16:21
from landfills and go to people?
16:24
Maybe go to compost if it's not gonna go to people, but still be part of a, a, a
16:29
a much more, not just sustainable, but intelligent, uh, applicable, uh, system,
16:37
Treska: Yeah.
16:38
all excellent points.
16:39
Love every bit of that di digression, tangent.
16:42
Um, you know, the, the packaging is a nightmare, I'm not gonna lie.
16:46
We, you know,
16:47
Jesse Hirsh: you know?
16:48
Treska: with those, you know, strawberry clamshells and raspberry packaging and
16:51
all the, I mean, berries are the worst.
16:53
Because they come in these beautiful, rigid plastic containers
16:57
and they have to be dismantled.
16:58
And what happens often is we'll get some with, you know, there's
17:00
one or two berries that have turned and the rest are about to turn.
17:04
So a lot of the product we do receive, like you say, ma uh, gets to us on
17:08
day six, for instance, and we need to get that product turned around
17:11
and back out our doors within 24 hours for it to have true impact.
17:14
Right?
17:15
We don't wanna be giving out food that's just gonna perish.
17:17
However, on that note, a
17:18
Jesse Hirsh: A lot
17:19
Treska: great food does come through our doors that, you know,
17:21
perhaps a tomato with a blemish or a banana with a, you know, one
17:24
sort of bruise on one of the bunch.
17:26
And, and we will receive that the, the other pieces that grocery stores
17:30
have to predict when they order.
17:31
So sometimes we'll receive, quite frankly, beautiful produce that has no business
17:35
being part of the food rescue programme.
17:36
But there it is and we're excited about it.
17:39
But to your points, you know, those, that is a pain point.
17:42
The recycling and the compost.
17:44
Is massive.
17:45
We do incur a great deal of cost in having recycling and
17:49
composting and garbage picked up.
17:52
Frequently how we
17:53
Jesse Hirsh: How we try to
17:54
Treska: that and
17:54
Jesse Hirsh: that and how we try to solve that on a larger
17:56
Treska: is the compost piece is we're really trying to
17:58
Jesse Hirsh: try to connect
17:59
Treska: our goal this year to connect with more and more farmers
18:02
and folks that can utilise that compost because right now, you know,
18:05
Jesse Hirsh: you.
18:05
Treska: that's an area where we can see, uh, opportunity for, for our waste store
18:09
and our, our footprint to be reduced.
18:11
We have gotten, uh, a great deal of our organic footprint down to
18:16
what I like to call a doll roar.
18:18
It was.
18:18
Sitting around 10 to 12% waste.
18:21
Uh, when, when we started things at the warehouse in 20 18, 20 19, and now we're
18:25
down to just under 5%, our compost.
18:29
And so a big part of that is we have a chef on team, on our team now, and our
18:33
chef will take a lot of food and create meals outta food that maybe can't go into
18:38
a hamper or go back out to an agency.
18:40
So he's doing things like freeze drying, dehydrating.
18:43
He's creating community meals for our unhoused folks downtown, and taking
18:47
food like those tomatoes that can't go back out to another organisation
18:50
and, and creating a really great.
18:52
Sauce or soup from those, and that's how we're trying to tackle it.
18:56
Um, but I, the recycling, I mean, I'm all ears on how, how we could fix those
19:00
systems and, and what we do there.
19:02
We do our best to recycle.
19:03
And our chef is adamant about, you know, recycling everything that comes through
19:07
our doors, whether it's styrofoam or plastic or glass or what have you.
19:10
And even when.
19:11
Often on the island, it can be challenging to recycle certain items.
19:14
He's always seeking new ways to, to find ways to recycle,
19:18
and ways to reduce packaging.
19:19
I mean, that's a, a really great question.
19:21
That is a pain point for us.
19:23
Um, and it's certainly
19:24
Jesse Hirsh: Certainly an example
19:25
Treska: Food
19:25
Jesse Hirsh: that
19:26
Treska: so
19:26
Jesse Hirsh: itself where I can get
19:28
Treska: from really beautiful tropical locations, especially
19:30
in the case of fruit.
19:31
And so.
19:33
mandate is just to do everything
19:34
Jesse Hirsh: everything.
19:35
Treska: make sure the food goes as far as it can and is still useful.
19:38
Uh, and then beyond that, it's my hope that farmers can take over from there.
19:42
We do have a couple of pig farmers that come and pick up, product that is, uh,
19:46
no longer safe for human consumption.
19:48
And so we're just trying to keep that chain going, get that food out into
19:51
our system in one way or another.
19:53
Jesse Hirsh: Right on.
19:54
And, you know, part of, to your point about the packaging, uh, and,
19:58
and the policy side of that, part of what I want to see, and this is
20:02
nakedly, my agenda for wanting you to be part of the future heard, is
20:06
to have voices like yours shaping how we see the food system as a whole.
20:13
So that instead of, you know, you seeing recycling as just a pain
20:17
point, which it is, you also see, uh, uh, the recycling and packaging.
20:22
On behalf of everyone else 'cause you're experiencing that pain point at scale.
20:27
But I would argue that the family is experiencing that pain
20:30
point on a micro scale as well.
20:32
And when we look at all these products just on the, how do we sell it rather
20:38
than the full cycle of its experience that after it's been marketing that
20:43
clamshell for the fruits not really friendly, there might be a better way.
20:47
Uh, okay.
20:48
I, I'm digressing again.
20:50
I, I wanna.
20:50
Come back though to, to something you said that I thought was really important,
20:54
which was the chef processing and the way in which, you know, are there, and, and
21:00
this might be a little too nerdy so we, we can get off this quick, but are there
21:05
regulations like, are there CFIA stuff that we should be thinking of changing
21:12
to make, uh, food security easier?
21:15
But also food insecurity, something that can be addressed quickly because
21:19
you alluded to it when you said that often you'll get produce that's still
21:24
perfectly good and maybe the store made a dec a bad decision in terms
21:28
of how they were projecting supply.
21:31
But also sometimes, like in some cases, it strikes me that best before dates
21:36
are really just passive suggestions and not necessarily binding regulations.
21:42
Part of that's the literacy piece of what the end user knows.
21:46
But my question is are do you feel, uh, hampered by some regulations that don't
21:52
anticipate the innovations in food rescue?
21:55
The opportunities to your point about processing that now you have
21:59
one chef, what if you had two?
22:01
What if you had three?
22:02
What if you could start creating products outta this stuff like firm?
22:06
Fermenting stuff that really extends the shelf life in a way that allows
22:11
this food to be, uh, further utilised.
22:15
Treska: Great question and, and great point.
22:17
You know, I don't feel that we feel hampered at to date
22:22
on, on some of those pieces.
22:23
I think that there is, uh, a broadening awareness of food security.
22:28
Certainly when I first began, a lot of the stores had a lot
22:30
of concern about liability.
22:32
They wanted to make sure that the food that they were giving
22:35
to us was being treated properly.
22:36
And of course, I mean, that's why we are a natural fit.
22:39
For running the food rescue programme here in Victoria.
22:41
We've been working in food for a long time.
22:43
We have the refrigerated trucks, we have the infrastructure.
22:46
However, um, as things have progressed in, in the
22:49
Jesse Hirsh: Progress.
22:49
Treska: I've been here, the, the stores are very understanding of what happens
22:53
next and that ultimately it is our responsibility when we collect that food.
22:57
And we do have use with most of our partners to that effect.
23:00
Uh, and, and that we, the, the same goes for our agencies that we distribute to.
23:03
Once that food is in their hands, it's up to them to use common sense.
23:07
And some of those old adages that, that are, you know, probably part of all
23:10
of our childhoods, you know, like when you smell the milk, does it smell sour?
23:14
Don't use it.
23:15
You know, it's not really about the best before dates.
23:18
You're absolutely right.
23:18
Best before dates are a suggestion.
23:21
Uh, food Banks, Canada and Second Harvest.
23:23
Uh, both governing bodies of the food rescue programmes all across the country,
23:27
uh, have come out with charts and, and
23:29
Jesse Hirsh: I.
23:30
Treska: handling rescued food so that it's very clear, for instance, a canned item.
23:34
As long as the can isn't bulging or looking or mislabeled or no label,
23:39
you know, doesn't look rusty or anything like that, it's gonna last
23:41
two years beyond its date safely.
23:43
You can safely distribute that.
23:45
Five years, not so much.
23:46
And that is, you know, that is a literacy piece, that's an education piece.
23:50
A lot of people will wanna clean out their pantry and donate it to
23:52
the food bank, you know, and, and as much as we appreciate that, we
23:55
don't want your 10-year-old pasta.
23:57
We don't want your 20-year-old cans, but there is a shelf life beyond those dates.
24:02
So that's a really important piece.
24:03
And I do think that that is a policy level conversation.
24:07
I know that, um, some places in Europe are really tackling that differently.
24:10
You know, sell by dates versus best before dates because.
24:13
Part of the education piece is making and, and I personally think kids
24:17
are a great way to go with this.
24:18
Going into schools and teaching kids at best before dates are not, like your
24:21
milk is not going to expire on March 12th just because it says that that is
24:26
something that we teach young and then they can go home and teach their parents
24:29
because folks, that's a sales pitch.
24:31
Let's just be real.
24:32
The grocery stores want you to throw out that yoghourt.
24:35
Buy more yoghourt is fermented.
24:37
That stuff lasts for a very long time beyond the expiry date.
24:41
Now I'm on a tangent, but our, you know, our chef is always looking at
24:44
different ways to utilise that food.
24:46
Developing a product is certainly a conversation we've had a few times.
24:50
Could we develop a hot sauce?
24:51
Could we develop, you know, a soup or a stew brand?
24:54
You know, something like that.
24:55
And certainly the, the regulations as they are right now don't allow us to create a
25:00
product and sell it out of rescued food.
25:03
But we have had started to have those conversations and there are some food
25:06
banks in our region that have started to work with some freeze dried product.
25:09
It's certainly, certainly a conversation that's happened.
25:11
Right now we're focused more on sharing food out to other agencies
25:16
that work within our warehouse.
25:17
We have a school food programme that operates out of our warehouse, a separate
25:20
nonprofit that we're really excited to be, uh, partnered with and part of.
25:23
And so the, a great example, uh, in that
25:26
Jesse Hirsh: Nothing.
25:27
Treska: do get a great deal of bananas in, there's a lot of
25:29
bananas are big in food rescue and.
25:32
We'll get a great deal of bananas in and, and, and so many bananas that
25:35
we don't know what to do with them.
25:36
And so what we've done is we've, uh, partnered with the school food programme
25:39
and they've partnered with a local bakery.
25:40
So those bananas get processed by our volunteers frozen into
25:44
bags, sent out to the bakery.
25:46
The bakery makes banana bread and sells it back to the food school, food
25:50
programme at a reduced rate because the bananas have been provided for them.
25:54
So we're just
25:55
Jesse Hirsh: Just trying to create.
25:56
Treska: economy bits right now while talking about what the future
25:59
could hold about perhaps developing.
26:01
Yeah, some products
26:02
Jesse Hirsh: Product.
26:02
Treska: which would definitely require some new legislation.
26:06
Jesse Hirsh: Right on.
26:06
And, and I do want to spend some time talking about the kind of
26:09
blue sky of that circular economy.
26:11
'cause I think that's where you and I could have a lot of fun.
26:14
But before I forget, I do want to come back to kind of the, the
26:17
grassroots, the ground floor, which is certainly in my lifetime, the
26:21
concept of the food bank has changed.
26:24
And, and what I mean by that is.
26:26
You know, back when I was younger, they all kind of resembled each
26:29
other and they all had a kind of similar vibe and a similar culture.
26:33
But now right across the country, there's kind of a diverse approach
26:37
to that type of organisation.
26:40
So I, I'd love to hear how you guys approach the kind of food
26:43
bank configuration because it's no longer just about distributing food.
26:48
It's often cultural in terms of how you're kind of framing
26:52
the relationship of, of having.
26:54
Giving access to food and helping people deal with food insecurity.
26:59
Treska: Yeah, sure.
26:59
Great point.
27:00
Uh, food banks have changed a lot.
27:02
They're, they began, uh, popping up in, in Canada, uh, in 19 83, 19 84.
27:07
I believe.
27:07
We were one of the first ones that, uh, that were operating.
27:10
The mustard seed's been operating for about 50 years, but we've
27:12
been food banking since they began in the early eighties.
27:16
and, and I know that it has changed a lot.
27:18
So there is always going to be a component of food banking
27:21
that is, you know, folks that
27:23
Jesse Hirsh: That are particularly unhoused
27:25
Treska: or
27:25
Jesse Hirsh: or living in
27:26
Treska: um,
27:27
Jesse Hirsh: transitional,
27:28
Treska: do want those, uh, what we think of as traditional food
27:31
bank items like, you know, shelf stable items, craft dinner, Mr.
27:34
Noodles.
27:35
Cans of soup, et cetera, and that's great.
27:37
There's always a place for that.
27:39
But food banking has shifted a great deal, certainly since I've been involved,
27:42
and the shift has been towards, uh, more
27:45
Jesse Hirsh: more fresh product,
27:46
Treska: more perishable and fresh product, but nutrient dense and
27:49
Jesse Hirsh: dignity of joy.
27:50
Treska: meeting people where they're at.
27:52
So where what
27:53
Jesse Hirsh: What
27:54
Treska: here at the Mustard Seed is we've created a choice model, and I
27:56
think a lot of food banks are moving in that direction, and that allows folks to
27:59
come in and see what's on offer that day and pick what works for their family.
28:03
You know, a lot of people don't know what to do with chickpeas.
28:05
Some people don't know what to do with goats milk, and that's okay.
28:08
And we can try and help them or download recipes or share ideas with them.
28:12
But if your kids aren't going to eat.
28:14
You know, tuna, then take
28:16
Jesse Hirsh: peanut better,
28:16
Treska: Right?
28:17
We
28:17
Jesse Hirsh: We don't know what.
28:18
Treska: for your family and we don't know what your facility looks like or what
28:22
your cooking, uh, facilities look like.
28:24
So we wanna make
28:25
Jesse Hirsh: Wanna make sure that.
28:26
Treska: opportunity for people to choose what's best for them.
28:28
So that's one really big piece, and I think I see a lot of food
28:31
banks moving in that, into that realm, rather than just handing a
28:34
bag of product across the counter.
28:36
You know, you get what you get.
28:38
That's, that it's, it doesn't work that way anymore.
28:40
And that's not appropriate for so many folks.
28:42
You know, whether we have, you know, sometimes we'll have people come through
28:45
in their home of, of four adults and they, they have very specific needs,
28:49
whether they have dietary restrictions or different needs, gluten-free, et cetera.
28:52
We always try to make sure there are options for folks.
28:55
And then we have some families that are new to Canada and a lot of our
28:58
produce is very, very strange to them.
29:00
And so.
29:00
Jesse Hirsh: So
29:01
Treska: wanna
29:01
Jesse Hirsh: we wanna make sure that
29:02
Treska: for you, no matter who you are when you walk through our doors.
29:05
And then the other piece around what we do at our downtown location is we
29:08
have our, uh, our hospitality ministry.
29:11
And what that
29:12
Jesse Hirsh: what that is basically.
29:14
Treska: drop-in centre.
29:14
It's where folks can come and get a hot meal, they can get a cup of coffee,
29:18
they can get a muffin, they can sit around a table, they can communicate
29:20
with people and find community.
29:22
Listen to some music.
29:23
Sometimes there's bingo, sometimes there's art.
29:25
Uh, but mostly it's just breaking bread and sharing food around a table.
29:29
So we offer a hot lunch, uh, five days a week, and then we do dinners on the
29:32
weekends and breakfasts once a month.
29:34
And so that piece around, uh, what we do is our doors to something
29:39
beyond just coming in, getting your box or bag of food and leaving.
29:42
We want people to feel like they can find community here because that's a really
29:46
big part of how you break some of the stigmas and some of the cycles of poverty.
29:51
Jesse Hirsh: And, and let's double down on that kind of de-stigmatization
29:55
because I, I, I think we as a society are on the one hand, like there's the
30:01
de-stigmatization of mental health, which is an ongoing process, which granted.
30:06
I think in our lifetime we've seen a lot of progress, but there's
30:10
much progress, uh, still to come.
30:13
And it strikes me that the same thing applies to hunger because part of the, the
30:16
vision I'm entertaining as we're having this conversation is a scenario in which.
30:23
More than the quote unquote, 10% of people who face specific food insecurity
30:29
make use of these types of community settings, these types of community
30:33
services, partly 'cause to your point, we don't wanna waste any food.
30:37
So if the food's gonna be.
30:39
Throw it away anyway, we might as well get people eating it, but also because
30:43
there is a need to foster those social connections that, that sense of belonging.
30:48
So tell me about the, I'll, I'll use the word struggles.
30:52
Uh, maybe I'll be more diplomatic and say efforts, uh, to de-stigmatize,
30:57
uh, food insecurity and, and two.
31:00
Kind of change the culture that we as a society, I think
31:04
still have, uh, towards hunger.
31:06
The idea that it's something that, you know, you might be ashamed of.
31:11
Instead, we should be, as a society going, let's feed everybody.
31:15
Let's make sure all the food that we're producing is
31:17
getting into people's bellies.
31:19
'cause we will have a better, safer, more productive society as a result.
31:24
Treska: Yeah, no question.
31:25
You know, if you're worried about where your next meal's coming from,
31:28
how is that job interview going to go?
31:30
How's that test going to go?
31:31
How are you gonna write that paper if you're in school?
31:34
Or if you're worried about where your kids are gonna get their lunch and
31:37
there isn't a school food programme going on at your kids' school, like,
31:39
what, what does your workday look like knowing that you've had to send your
31:42
child to school with not enough food?
31:45
You know?
31:45
And, and that's at the, really the core of what we do and what I think
31:48
a lot of the organisations that we work alongside do is we're trying
31:51
to destigmatize that it really does.
31:54
This does affect everyone and not everyone is gonna feel comfortable
31:57
coming down to the food bank, and that's something that I try to talk about.
32:00
Anytime I have an opportunity with someone like yourself or in media or
32:04
any opportunity I can, you know, this could be your neighbour, it could be
32:07
your friend, it could be a family member, and we just wanna make sure folks feel
32:10
welcome to come through our doors.
32:12
So here at the Mustard Seed, we wanna make sure that people feel
32:15
welcome, whether that's a smile and a hello and a how are you?
32:18
You know, and some people just wanna quietly go about their business
32:21
and we just try to meet people with exactly where they're at.
32:24
You know, some folks, folks wanna hang out, they wanna connect, they wanna share
32:27
their story, they wanna talk about what's going on in their lives, and we wanna
32:30
make sure they feel supported in doing so.
32:33
that's something we just, that's just how we operate down here, uh,
32:36
downtown on Queens Avenue, however.
32:38
We do recognise that we do serve a large, a large unhoused population, and there's
32:43
a great deal of stigma with that as well.
32:45
And people are fearful and and concerned sometimes to come down to
32:48
this location because they're not sure what, what they're going to encounter.
32:51
What they're going to encounter is an incredible community and wonderful
32:54
people, but is a big part of why our food rescue programme also serves.
32:59
Many other agencies throughout the city because people can access
33:03
food in a number of different ways.
33:04
Whether you wanna access food up at the university, uh, with their food bank,
33:09
whether you wanna access food at a free market, maybe that a church is running
33:12
on Sundays where you can just swing by and pick up what you need, uh, whether
33:16
it's school pickup, you wanna make, pick up some extra groceries, you know,
33:19
we wanna make sure that we're finding
33:21
Jesse Hirsh: But.
33:22
Treska: to get.
33:22
As much food out to as many people as possible in a number of different ways.
33:26
Because you're right, that stigma, it, it, it's everywhere.
33:29
It's prevalent.
33:30
I hope that it's changing and I think that it's shifting and in conversations with
33:34
friends and family, when I talk about the work that I do, I find that more and more
33:38
people will start to tell me incredibly heartwarming stories of my family used
33:42
a food bank and it was a game changer.
33:44
We had a really tough season, you know, and I just always thank
33:47
Jesse Hirsh: Participation.
33:48
Treska: for feeling that they can share that with us because.
33:51
just so important to break that down.
33:53
It's so important to talk about needing help and needing one another.
33:55
Humans are pack animals.
33:57
We need each other.
33:58
Not only do we need food, but we need to be in community with one another in order
34:02
to feel like we're part of something.
34:04
And that is so, so, so important.
34:06
So yeah, I mean those are some of the ways that we just go about trying
34:09
to make sure that that food gets out there to different groups, whether it's
34:12
a. A cooking, uh, demonstration at a community centre or a neighbourhood house.
34:16
You know, whether it's a free market where people meet and start chatting about, you
34:19
know, maybe they're gonna meet at church that week, or maybe they're gonna meet
34:22
and go for a coffee later because they saw somebody, you know, another parent
34:25
from their school at the free market.
34:27
You know, just ways to bring people together.
34:30
And I think that food is an easy.
34:34
Way to do that.
34:35
We all have to eat, we all have to come together.
34:37
We all have to find ways to nourish ourselves and just so much easier
34:42
if you're doing that with others.
34:44
Jesse Hirsh: Well, and, and that speaks.
34:46
Treska: there.
34:47
Jesse Hirsh: No, no, not at all.
34:48
I, I think you brought us right back to the kind of through line, which is, you
34:52
know, collaboration, uh, in leadership.
34:55
And, you know, that was for this larger podcast.
34:58
We were sort of talking about how collaboration is what makes a leader a
35:03
leader, and collaboration is kind of what.
35:05
D defines the sector as a whole.
35:08
And, and what I'm hearing from you is, is a, a kind of a perspective, right?
35:13
Like you have a particular view of our food system, of, of eaters.
35:18
On the one hand, people who eat the food of producers.
35:22
On the other hand, because you're seeing their products, you're going through
35:25
quite a large volume of their products and the broader distribution system.
35:30
And I think that's part of why the collaboration piece is so central, because
35:36
it feels to me as someone who, you know as a researcher, as an observer who's kind
35:41
of learning about our food system from all angles, that there are some disconnect.
35:46
And that if we could start connecting these pieces so that we understand
35:51
the opportunities to turn what is a system of abundance to a system that
35:56
is fair and secure and ensures that everybody is able to do what they want.
36:01
I mean, you know, just as an aside.
36:03
I found the best way to deal with conflict, even violent conflict is food.
36:09
Right?
36:09
It's often the easiest way to deescalate and get people to kind
36:13
of see the humanity in each other.
36:15
So it's, uh, I'm digressing.
36:18
I I do wanna throw you a quick little curve ball though, just outta
36:21
curiosity before we kind of talk about some big vision and, and,
36:25
and kind of solution centric talk.
36:28
I am assuming you, you evoked earlier how yoghourt never really goes bad.
36:32
Of course, cheese also never really goes bad.
36:36
I, I have to assume that you get some pretty decent cheese, expired
36:41
cheese, but nonetheless, some pretty decent cheese that these grocery
36:45
stores would otherwise be tossing out.
36:48
Is there any logic as to how you distribute some of the more premium
36:52
elements that end up, uh, uh, being rescued or otherwise discarded?
36:58
Treska: I mean, that's a great question.
37:00
We do get the strangest things.
37:02
We get all sorts of really niche, you know, we'll get one or one or two
37:05
packages of a niche cheese, we'll get, you know, plants, flowers, orchids that
37:10
have dropped their blooms or roses that have gone, you know, uh, gone off and,
37:15
and what we're, what we're grateful to have is an incredible team of
37:18
volunteers that sorts through just about everything that comes through our door.
37:22
So.
37:23
Vol. Our volunteers are literally the lifeblood of our organisation, and they
37:27
see what's available and where it could go and who might need it faster than we can.
37:33
You know, the flowers for instance, they're instantly in a bucket of water,
37:37
seeing if they can revive them and, and you know, and somebody working that day,
37:40
volunteering that day, Hey, why don't you take some flowers home to your family?
37:43
Gosh, we think that would be really great.
37:45
You know, so that we just try to share out as much as we can in whatever way we can.
37:49
But yeah, that niche stuff, the niche cheese, and uh, you know, goats.
37:52
Milk is one.
37:53
We have a couple of organisations that love goat's milk or love keefer,
37:57
or love certain products, and we know that they will utilise them
38:00
and they know what to do with them.
38:01
So we will set them aside because we know we have an appointment system.
38:04
So we know that that organisation, for instance, is possibly coming in tomorrow
38:07
and they're gonna be really excited about that product versus just trying to force
38:11
it on someone else who might not know what to do with a. I don't really speak cheese,
38:15
but I don't know, like a stilton, like some people are gonna like a stilton and
38:19
some people are not going to like that.
38:20
So again, it goes to that choice model, right?
38:23
Like, do you know what you, what to do with this?
38:25
Do you know who's gonna like this?
38:27
Is there a family or a group that you distribute to, you know, that is,
38:30
well, we got artichokes once, like the actual whole full artichokes.
38:33
Well, lots of people don't know what to do with them, but some
38:36
groups, some community groups.
38:37
But that's just, that's a delicacy and it's a super exciting event.
38:41
So.
38:42
Yeah.
38:42
Our volunteers are key in making sure that we know how to get some of that
38:47
more unique product out to folks that are really gonna get excited about it.
38:51
Jesse Hirsh: And it also speaks to the diversity, uh, of the organisations that
38:55
you work with, that the greater their diversity, the the greater your ability
39:00
to utilise and distribute that food.
39:03
Although, I asked the question partly because in my own view of de-stigmatizing,
39:08
I would love to see the downtown food.
39:10
Also carry luxury items that users could choose the same way that it, you
39:16
know, the idea that you're not just getting stuff that people don't want.
39:19
You're getting stuff that people absolutely want, and that
39:22
makes the food bank experience, uh, e even more meaningful.
39:26
Now, I, I keep alluding to this idea that I want to talk about the big picture.
39:30
And, and I suppose as a segue to that, or a bridge to that, I, I'm assuming
39:35
that you talk to other people in the sector who, whether they're leaders like
39:38
yourself or to your point, Paul, in.
39:40
Tears who are kind of there, uh, seeing the stuff go by.
39:45
What are the kind of conversations, what are the, the, the, the, the
39:50
big dreams when you imagine, you know, if your friend was premier
39:54
or if your pal was prime minister?
39:57
You know, I, I have to assume that the same way I'm trying to tease out,
40:01
uh, this stuff in our conversation.
40:04
That those kind of chats happen naturally when, when you meet other leaders in the
40:07
sector, other people, uh, other community organisations who you're working with.
40:13
You know, g gimme some of the scuttlebutt, gimme some of the, the, the insights,
40:17
the dreams, the, the connections that you guys are making within your own cluster.
40:22
That, that I wanna redistribute, uh, to other leaders within
40:26
the broader food system.
40:28
Treska: Sure.
40:29
Yeah, great question.
40:30
I mean,
40:30
Jesse Hirsh: I mean, one thing I'd like to say, I have
40:32
Treska: to our warehouse
40:33
Jesse Hirsh: Warehouse.
40:33
Treska: tour, uh, is,
40:35
Jesse Hirsh: You know,
40:35
Treska: in a perfect world,
40:36
Jesse Hirsh: world
40:37
Treska: wouldn't exist.
40:38
My job wouldn't exist, you know, I mean, ultimately, I. Wouldn't that be something?
40:42
But the reality is, is that that's not coming anytime soon.
40:46
And so I think food banking in general and, and food distribution, food
40:50
security, all of these organisations have pivoted to more of a,
40:53
Jesse Hirsh: we.
40:53
Treska: can we be a cornerstone and an important part of the
40:56
community that we're already in.
40:57
We
40:58
Jesse Hirsh: We are.
40:59
Treska: we are trusted by many and we don't take that lightly.
41:01
We take that really seriously.
41:03
So we just wanna make sure that we, you know, we walk in integrity that way.
41:06
So that's one piece of it.
41:07
You know, it would be great if it didn't exist.
41:09
But it does, and here we are.
41:10
How can we make the best of it?
41:12
Uh, but what I, the feedback I get from a lot of people that come
41:16
through our doors, especially from a tour perspective, is, I had no idea.
41:20
I had no idea this was here.
41:21
I had no idea the scale to which you were doing this.
41:24
I had no idea this many organisations were operating under your roof.
41:27
You know, and that's a. Big, uh, piece of feedback that I still get after years
41:32
and years of showing anybody who wants to come and check out the work that we
41:36
do, uh, they're just blown away by the scale and, and the collaboration pieces.
41:41
And so that's both heartwarming and a little bit sad to me, right?
41:44
Because I think, okay, there's more work to do.
41:46
We, and, and that's where you come in and that's where conversations
41:49
like this come in, is sharing and spreading, uh, sharing the word and
41:52
spreading, uh, you know, information about how we are, are doing this work.
41:56
So the scuttlebutt, you
41:57
Jesse Hirsh: What?
41:58
You
41:58
Treska: I
41:59
Jesse Hirsh: I think that
42:00
Treska: our example of what we're doing at the Food Security Distribution
42:03
Centre, it's on a on view field road in a squamal, it's lovingly referred to
42:06
as view field or the food hub, or it's got all sorts of different pet names.
42:11
Uh, is a really great example of where those conversations do happen organically.
42:15
For many, many years, a lot of groups in Victoria talked about
42:19
how to centralise food rescue.
42:22
Uh, that it, that food rescue was something that needed to happen.
42:24
And we're talking like back 20 13, 20 14, when it wasn't commonplace.
42:28
How can we centralise food rescue?
42:30
How can we create equitable access for many organisations?
42:33
And those conversations began early weren't easy.
42:36
They were contentious.
42:37
There was strife.
42:38
There was tension.
42:39
There was.
42:40
Elbows up.
42:40
This is mine.
42:41
I don't want, I don't want anybody to have what we have.
42:43
That real scarcity mindset.
42:45
And so we've had to work on that for many, many years.
42:49
Cut to the centre opening its doors in 2017, building our one
42:53
of three now what are now three kitchens in our, in our warehouse.
42:56
A 22,000 square foot warehouse with three kitchen spaces, uh, to a thriving food
43:01
rescue programme, which is wonderful.
43:03
And we have talked about that, and we're grateful for that.
43:05
And we're making the most of.
43:07
Definitely, in my opinion, a system that needs a complete overhaul, which
43:10
is probably a whole other podcast for you and I. But, uh, what I also
43:15
Jesse Hirsh: I also.
43:16
Treska: Field is that we created an environment where many other
43:18
organisations are operating with us.
43:21
So we have some tenants.
43:22
We have an organisation called South Island Farm Hub, and they are an a
43:26
la carte farm to table organisation.
43:28
And what they do is they, they allow folks to access local farms and local
43:33
products as without a middleman.
43:36
And they came to life at the beginning of COVID when restaurants shut
43:40
down, the whole world shut down.
43:41
And all of the farmers and local producers in our region had, you know,
43:45
fields full of product and things ready to go, and nowhere where to send them.
43:49
There were, there was eggs, there were vegetables there.
43:51
Like what do we do with those?
43:52
And so.
43:54
Uh, south Island Farm Hub was born and they thrived because folks were
43:57
really excited about ordering fresh product to their door, uh, and really
44:01
connecting with local growers and farmers.
44:03
And so that is something that happened out of conversations, out of seeing
44:07
the need, seeing what was happening.
44:10
The School of Food Programme is another
44:11
Jesse Hirsh: Another really great in
44:12
Treska: We've got Flourish School, food Society operating
44:15
Jesse Hirsh: operating under.
44:15
Treska: under our roof at View Field, and we are incredibly honoured
44:19
to partner with them and to be a supporter of the work that they do.
44:22
They started as a pilot project a few years ago and, uh, have
44:26
been really, really successful in creating an accessible school food
44:30
programme for kids here in Victoria.
44:32
Uh, and those conversations are, are incredible because what we
44:35
have now are a team of chefs.
44:37
That are working for the school food programme that can chat with our
44:40
chef that's doing, uh, food rescue.
44:42
And so they're sharing ideas.
44:43
They're talking about ways to create systems and ways to, to, to close the gap.
44:47
So there are a lot of really great conversations happening under our roof.
44:51
We did just create a new office space at the back of our warehouse where.
44:54
Some local organisations are also renting office spaces because that's what I want.
44:58
That was always the vision for view field is those, those water
45:01
Jesse Hirsh: Water.
45:02
Treska: Hey, what are you up today?
45:03
Today?
45:03
What challenges are you facing?
45:05
What are some of the gaps in your programmes?
45:07
Like, how can we work together?
45:08
How can we fix this?
45:09
What spaghetti can we throw at the wall?
45:10
What sticks?
45:12
And those conversations in my mind.
45:14
Do happen naturally.
45:15
They happen when you run into each other in the hallway, grabbing a coffee when
45:18
you run into each other, you know, at, at the front door, et, et cetera, et cetera.
45:22
And I just, I really wanted to create an environment in our warehouse for that.
45:27
And so that's, I don't know if I have any scuttlebutt for you other
45:31
than that, you know, those, those relationships are the most important
45:35
parts of what we do, and that's where I glean the most information about what's
45:39
next and where we need to go next.
45:41
Jesse Hirsh: That's the innovation cluster model, right?
45:44
That you get people kinda all in the same garden, in the same biome and
45:50
then they cross fertilise and connect.
45:52
And you're absolutely right.
45:53
I will be having you back on.
45:55
So we can talk about redesigning our food system as a whole, 'cause
45:58
we're scratching the surface today.
46:01
But to that point, as a bit of a preview.
46:04
You can, uh, uh, address this question as deep or as superficially as you desire.
46:10
Are you noticing the industry changing as a result?
46:15
And, and I say this because, you know, earlier when we were talking about
46:18
packaging right, and our insights on packaging, I actually think that we're.
46:23
Doing, and when I say we, I mean the work you're doing, the work that a
46:27
lot of the people I'm talking to are doing, we're doing a lot of the heavy
46:31
lifting on an innovation scale, on a anticipation scale that really the
46:37
private company should be doing on their own, but for various different reasons.
46:41
It's not within their worldview, it's not within their, uh, ability
46:46
to understand if I'm to be generous.
46:49
But nonetheless, they have to be watching what you're doing and
46:52
thinking, wow, this is amazing.
46:55
And they have to be watching what you're doing and at the very least,
46:59
learning from it what they're learning.
47:01
We don't know, but I Are you, that little rambling preamble to reframe the question
47:08
as, are you watching the industry change either as a consequence of what you're
47:13
doing or maybe just you're in a position.
47:17
See the industry in a way that other people aren't.
47:20
'cause you're seeing the stuff they throw out on certain levels.
47:24
Again, now I'm rambling, but I hope you could take something from this to kind
47:28
of get to what I'm getting at, which is as a preview to our future episode where
47:34
we talk about how to redesign the system.
47:37
Is the system starting to pay attention?
47:39
Is the system starting to adapt on its own?
47:44
I'm gonna stop here 'cause I could keep rambling on and on and on.
47:48
Treska: That's a great question and it's a big question.
47:51
I think I do see micro change if I could, uh, on, on some levels.
47:57
Uh, we are fortunate enough here to work with some local grocery partners
48:01
that are not, uh, parts of larger chains and are not, therefore, not beholden
48:05
to, you know, as much corporate.
48:08
oversight.
48:10
Uh, so that's helpful.
48:11
I mean, that we're working with, you know, smaller organisations locally run
48:15
organisations that believe in the work that, that we do and wanna get creative
48:19
about ways to partner and get creative about showcasing the work that we do,
48:23
because it really, truly matters to them.
48:25
Uh, and so, and those larger organisations and, and grocery partners as well, do
48:30
deeply care about what we're doing.
48:32
And, and for me, it's.
48:33
Just education, education, education.
48:35
Sharing the story, talking about what's going on, talking about what's
48:38
happening in our centre, having management from the grocery stores
48:41
come down and see what we're doing.
48:43
So I am seeing change.
48:44
I am seeing some change on some level.
48:47
You know, I find that we sit in a really unique position in, in the work
48:51
that we're doing, in that we benefit from the system not functioning well.
48:56
But truly at the root of many of the conversations we're having, we don't want
49:00
the system to stay in the status quo.
49:02
It's not working.
49:03
We know it's not working.
49:04
We know the cost of food is atrocious.
49:06
We know that's a, a big part of why food is coming to our centre
49:10
is because people can't afford it.
49:12
I can't afford to buy strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries
49:16
in the same grocery shop.
49:17
I gotta pick one berry and go with it because it's just not economically
49:22
viable for most people to.
49:24
Access nutritious food.
49:26
So yeah, the
49:27
Jesse Hirsh: Yeah.
49:27
Treska: is very, very much in need of an overhaul and, and, and for me, that
49:33
hope piece back to the beginning of our conversation is I can see elements of
49:37
change happening at the local level, but I know that change needs to happen at a much
49:42
larger level for it to truly have impact.
49:45
So yeah, I do see change and I do see change.
49:48
in terms of people who access our services and agencies who access
49:52
our services, they're learning about things like Best before Dates.
49:55
They're learning about how to educate the folks that they serve and share,
49:59
uh, uh, more food, interesting food, maybe food you've never seen before.
50:03
Um, you know, that piece, that food literacy piece, that
50:06
Jesse Hirsh: Is that correct?
50:07
Treska: piece is, is what I try to focus on because I really don't
50:10
feel like I have control over a lot, a lot of the bigger pieces.
50:14
Jesse Hirsh: Well, and, and you know, I, I usually try to wrap these
50:18
episodes with the kind of open question of is there stuff we haven't talked
50:21
about today that we should cover?
50:23
And, and allow me to fold that into a larger question of how do we expand that
50:29
literacy and education effort because.
50:33
On the one hand, I think that is the challenge as a sector that we
50:37
all face in various different fronts and in various different settings.
50:42
But are there, I mean, I think that's part of what I wanted to accomplish today.
50:46
I wanted to learn from you and I wanted to elevate the kind of insights and
50:49
learning that you guys are experiencing to, you know, the larger kind of
50:53
leadership, uh, uh, part of the sector.
50:56
But are, are there aspects to this education and literacy efforts?
51:00
That you think need greater resources, greater support, greater attention, or
51:04
if you did have another 24 hours in the day that you know, you would, uh, uh,
51:09
be able to spend more time and focus on,
51:14
Treska: I think that the, that is an area that definitely needs more
51:17
support and, and more improvement.
51:19
I mean.
51:20
We are
51:21
Jesse Hirsh: you're trying to.
51:21
Treska: as an organisation.
51:22
I know many of the organisations we work with are also doing the same.
51:26
I'll go back to Flourish School, food Society that we, uh, are
51:29
so honoured to work alongside.
51:30
They have just created an open source, uh, kit for, for their programme, their
51:35
blueprint of how to run a school food programme so that anyone in the province.
51:39
Can access it and learn how to build a school food programme, because
51:42
that's what it's all about, right?
51:44
Like why reinvent the wheel?
51:45
And so, you know, I think, I think that education and food literacy
51:49
piece is really, really important.
51:51
I think that from a leadership perspective, I'm trying to connect with as
51:55
many leaders as possible in this sector.
51:57
Both, you know, nationally.
51:59
Provincially because I wanna learn what's working and what isn't.
52:02
I don't think any of us have any time to waste, and I don't think we
52:05
should be making the same mistakes.
52:07
We should just all be learning from each other.
52:09
And as my mentor likes to say, then I get to make my own mistakes.
52:12
I get to keep trying new ideas and new ways of being, because
52:15
I've learned from all of the folks that I've been talking with.
52:18
And so that education and literacy piece is across the board.
52:21
It's in schools, educating kids about best before dates.
52:24
It's on a tour.
52:26
When I have
52:26
Jesse Hirsh: I,
52:26
Treska: to the warehouse, it's on this podcast, but it's
52:29
Jesse Hirsh: it's also
52:30
Treska: from a leadership
52:30
Jesse Hirsh: a leadership respect
52:32
Treska: for us to tap into one another and talk with one another
52:35
and really and find out what's going on in many different parts of the
52:40
sector in the hopes that together
52:42
Jesse Hirsh: together we.
52:43
Treska: make change.
52:44
I don't know.
52:44
I think that that's, that's the best way we have to, to, to move forward
52:48
is just, is learning from one another.
52:51
Jesse Hirsh: And, and that is, uh, to be self-serving for a moment.
52:53
You know, what I'm looking to accomplish with the future herd is to try to create
52:58
an environment in which leaders can vibe off each other, learn from each other.
53:02
You know, for myself, fail early, fail often, so you can
53:06
learn from those mistakes.
53:08
Uh.
53:08
You know, that brings us to the last question of every episode,
53:11
which is meant to be spontaneous, but I suspect you've, uh, may have
53:14
already been thinking about it.
53:16
Uh, who are some leaders that you wanna shout out to?
53:19
Uh, what's the call?
53:20
Kind of each one, teach one, uh, ethic or spirit.
53:23
And these are people you think we should be paying attention to that you think,
53:28
uh, either deserve more attention or that you just want to give a shout out
53:32
to in, in the broader culture of respect.
53:36
Treska: Oh gosh.
53:37
Wow.
53:37
That is a spontaneous question.
53:39
I didn't have a prepared list of leaders.
53:41
Um, I think that I work with a lot of folks locally that I would
53:43
love to give a shout out to, uh, Matthew Shaw and the Flourish.
53:47
Cool Food Society is a really big part of the work that we do, and, and
53:50
we just love to walk alongside them.
53:52
He would be an incredible person to have on, on your podcast and, and
53:55
talk about, uh, his perspective.
53:57
I think that our chef, Chris Hammer, deserves a shout out.
54:00
He, uh, he just does incredible things and he is his own, uh, incredible human
54:05
Jesse Hirsh: human being with so much.
54:06
Treska: and enthusiasm for food rescue and, and all the work that we do.
54:10
Um, we're just really lucky.
54:11
We're really lucky to work with a lot of really great
54:13
food leaders here in Victoria.
54:14
We have a really strong, uh, food security sector.
54:17
Uh, we work with CR Fair, we work with, uh, Linda gge as the executive
54:21
director of CR Fair, and she's been an incredible influence in some of the work.
54:24
Um, yeah, I, I, gosh, I'm, I'm not sure who else to give a shout out to.
54:29
I don't, I'm not very good at that.
54:31
Jesse Hirsh: Oh no, you, you just, uh, performed spectacularly partly.
54:35
'cause we do want it to be spontaneous.
54:37
It's not like you're accepting an an Academy award.
54:40
We, we want what your gut tells you and shouting out your colleagues is a
54:45
very classic, uh, uh, and solid, uh, demonstration of your own leadership.
54:51
It has been my.
54:52
Absolute, uh, pleasure, uh, to chat with you today.
54:56
Uh, the, the Future Herd has your back.
54:59
Not only would we love to have you back on the show, but if you ever
55:02
need anything from us, don't hesitate to call the herd and we will come,
55:07
uh, running, uh, in your support.
55:10
Uh, I, I, I'm kinda gushing because my brain is so full.
55:15
I have learned so much today.
55:18
Uh, thanks again, Reka.
55:20
Uh, I, I, I hope.
55:21
If anything that to your point, we can make ourselves obsolete, that
55:26
we become so successful in trying to address the broader notions of food
55:33
security, food insecurity, and making sure that nobody's hungry, that, you
55:38
know, that's a point in the future.
55:39
We can look back at this conversation.
55:41
A goal, wasn't that an interesting career?
55:42
I'm glad we solved that problem, as ambitious as that might be.
55:47
Treska: Yeah, absolutely.
55:48
Thanks so much, Jesse.
55:49
This has been great, and I feel like I would love to pick your brain on
55:52
some of the things that you've learned along the way and folks that you've
55:55
talked to, but certainly, uh, I really appreciate this conversation today.
55:58
It's been excellent.
56:04
Speaker 2: Here's what I'm taking away from today's chat.
56:07
Food insecurity isn't a sidebar at a Canada's food system.
56:11
It's a crucial signal.
56:13
A signal that something's broken.
56:15
Sure, but also a signal that invites us, if not implores us to rebuild.
56:23
Tresco Watson and the Mustard Seed Street Church aren't just moving food.
56:28
They're moving the needle on how we think about hunger, dignity in community,
56:33
and that warehouse on View Field Road.
56:36
It's not just a distribution centre, it's a blueprint for what happens
56:40
when collaboration isn't a buzzword.
56:43
It becomes the operating system.
56:45
So here's my invitation to you.
56:48
If this conversation sparked something, don't keep it to yourself.
56:52
Share this episode with someone who you need.
56:56
Share this episode with someone who you think needs to hear it.
57:00
Tell a friend, leave a review, or just start a conversation at your next
57:05
kitchen table or at the workplace.
57:08
You don't have to rescue three and a half million pounds to make a difference.
57:13
You just have to stay curious and pass it on and maybe eat that
57:18
yoghourt rather than throw it out.
57:21
Thanks for being a part of the future herd.
57:23
Until next time, keep asking the big questions and keep
57:27
showing up for each other.