Filling their baskets with bread and fresh produce, Ralph Dixon and Mariah Abraham were two of dozens that came out for the first pop-up healthy food market this summer in Morley. "It's good for the community," Dixon said gesturing toward the packed Stoney Health Services parking lot filled with residents out to enjoy the market and sun. While the market provided an opportunity for a community gathering, it also shone a light on a food security issue faced by some living in the rural reserve. There are no major grocery stores in Morley and accessing fresh produce can be even more challenging to those without a vehicle. The LeftOvers Foundation, which has helped bring in fresh groceries in the past with the help of Stoney Nakoda members, decided a market might be a great way to continue the conversation on the importance of having access to fresh fruit and vegetables. "We sort of polled the community to see the kind of food they were looking at purchasing and what kind of food they would eat and we placed our order based on that and came out here," said Lourdes Juan, founder of LeftOvers. "As an organization, we reduce food waste and increase food access; this is sort of our food access piece. It's all about bringing food directly into a community at prices that are budget-friendly, that are dignified, just so that we can have more awareness on food access and nutrition directly." The market was made possible with the help of the Rotary Club of Cochrane and the Stoney Nakoda Health Services. It's expected to pop up again on Aug. 2, and Aug 20.
