One Cardus*U participant was interviewed about one of his projects in the Hamilton Spectator.

Caleb Heerema is studying the results of 817 responses to an online survey that probed consumers’ appetites for passed-over produce that doesn’t make it to mainstream supermarkets.
“We wanted to see if there are people out there who were interested in it,” said Heerema, who studied biology and chemistry at Redeemer College and is in the middle of an eight-month project with the Hamilton-based think-tank Cardus.
“Seconds” are available at farmers’ markets, but Heerema’s idea is to provide another, more formalized option at The Mustard Seed for such rejected produce, if the figures support it.
He wants to help farmers offer cheaper produce to consumers and cut back on food waste. “Really, everybody wins.”
The idea, still in its conceptual stage, aligns with The Mustard Seed’s members’ interests, says co-founder Graham Cubitt.
“We know it doesn’t have to look perfect to be good.”
Heerema, who was raised on a northern Ontario farm, said Canadians are blessed with bountiful resources but might have the “wrong mindset” when it comes to food stewardship.

Read the rest of this article at the Hamilton Spectator‘s website, and listen to Heerema’s radio interview on The Scott Radley Show here.

Learn more about the Cardus*U program by clicking here or following the Facebook page.