Project Investment:

• Island Coastal Economic Trust: $50,000
• Applicant Equity: $155,000
• Total Budget: $205,000

Project Highlight:

During the 2022-2023 fiscal year, $140,000 worth of produce for Good Food Boxes was purchased directly from over 30 small-scale farms!

The Lush Valley Food Action Society project is a local solution to what was underlined in a 2021 Comox Valley Regional District-initiated report as a critical need for increased food processing capacity and access to certified kitchen facilities in the area.

Through this project, Lush Valley is building a space that will be used by food entrepreneurs, students, and farmers. Here, they can process local fruits and vegetables into a wide range of prepared meals and value-added products, while also serving as an educational space to teach food processing skills.

LUSH currently works with 24 farm businesses, all of whom will benefit from this project. Funds will be used to purchase kitchen equipment – food processor, dehydrator, vacuum sealer, ventilation, and freezer. The commercial kitchen will also allow the organization to strengthen social enterprises, including expanding food truck partnerships and catering businesses, and provide a commissary space for The Farmer’s Kitchen (TFK) food truck, on whom LUSH has relied as a valuable fundraising tool since 2020.