Orton Community Association

Sharing Recipient Stories

2023 Dufferin County Community Grant Recipient
$1,000

Sharing our grant story

The Food for Thought grant from Dufferin County supported our small rural community’s efforts to bring neighbours together through food, build connections with neighbours, and increase our capacity to eat healthy on a budget.

We organized potluck dinners every three months throughout the year, held in our community center owned and operated by the Orton Community Association. The main protein, grains and drinks were supplied by the Orton Community Association, purchased from local farmers where possible. Community members were encouraged to supply supplementary dishes that fit the theme of the dinner. An average of 50 people attended these dinners.

One dinner theme was “Leftovers”. Each community member brought a dish that featured a novel way to use up leftover food. The community association provided the main protein for the dinner, which consisted of a chicken pot pie and a salsa pork dish. Some of the other ideas included re-fried potatoes, bread pudding, veggie wraps and spanakopita.

These dinners benefit our residents as it gave many ideas on how to make full use of the food we have and reduce food waste. Our community members were able to socialize and swap tips on how to cook on a budget. A few attendees foraged for apples growing wild in the community to make their dish! Purchasing our food from local farmers also supports our local economy and agriculture. An added benefit to these dinners is that people enjoy them so much, they reach out to their neighbours to invite them to come; consequently, enlarging our circle of community and connectedness.

“The dinners really bring us closer together as a community. Attendees always leave with new ideas for meal planning and preparation, and creative ways to make use of local foods – whether homegrown or from local food producers. We are most grateful for the support of the Dufferin County Food for Thought Grants Program to make this possible”, said Michael Pearson, President of the Orton Community Association.