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This program launched in fall of 2018 to combat both climate change and food insecurity. In Canada, 1.2 million children struggle to get enough to eat every day. Each year at the end of the growing season, an abundance of apples remains on trees in local orchards. These apples are left to waste because they are small or imperfect. Local farmers can either pay to have these apples picked, at a loss, or leave them to rot. Enactus students identified a problem - nutritious food was not making it from farm to fork, so they created this program to prevent apple spoilage and produce shelf-stable products. Enactus Okanagan College partnered with the North Okanagan Gleaners Association to come up with an innovative solution. By dicing and dehydrating the apples we could increase the shelf life to over 1 year, allowing us to given utritious snacks out all year long. This solution gives new life to fruit thatis too small or “ugly” for grocery stores. Our apple chips are distributed to school children and marginalized populations faced with food insecurity. The project has improved food security for many children in the interior by providing nutritious snacks to both schools and food banks. Additionally, when crops are left to rot, harmful gases such as carbon dioxide and methane are released into our atmosphere. The Unusually Good Food Co improves air quality by ensuring these apples are not left behind. Also, the project ensures the efficient use of there sources, energy, and water utilized to produce the fruit.

To ensure the sustainability of this project we have started making fresh pressed orchard apple juice. The proceeds from the apple juice serve two purposes; help support farmers and provide funds to expand the project. Farmers traditionally have to pay to discard apples that are too small or misshapen. Our project pays farmers for these apples that are perfectly imperfect, helping out our local economy. The money also allows the project to expand our operations to new areas. All of the profits are used to support the project operations and increase the impact we have on our community. The key success of our operations relies on open communication between all of our stakeholders. We make sure that we always have the best interest of our partners in mind as we continue to grow. We think it is vital to provide support on all ends of our operations, from the farmers to the children we help feed. We partner with local schools to not only provide delicious snacks to, but also educate children on the importance of environmental sustainability, social entrepreneurship, and the benefits of community service. Through our partnerships with local schools, we are enabling the next generation of change makers in the Okanagan Valley. To date the Unusually Good Food Co. has saved over 8.8 million liters of water, prevented 84.6 tonnes of CO2 emissions, and provided over 75,000 servings of apple chips to those in need. Our unusually good mission is to help eliminate food waste, feed the future generations, and to treat farmers right. We believe in creating a better future for all.