WELLINGTON COUNTY ― The cost to feed some of the community’s most vulnerable continues to climb across Wellington County.
At the Centre Wellington Food Bank, grocery procurement costs increased by about 30 per cent within the first six months of 2026 compared to previous years, said Curt McQueen, the organization’s executive director and manager, in a recent interview with EloraFergusToday.
Historically, McQueen said the food bank, which is located on Queen Street in Fergus, has been fortunate enough to sustain itself through community donations and a food rescue program, which recovers surplus groceries from local sources.
But even with these agreements in place, McQueen said the food bank has noticed that the cost of groceries, and especially staples like ground beef or chicken, has increased significantly over the past year.
“A theme I’ve noticed, just from working with other county food banks, is that the smaller food banks generally need to purchase more groceries to sustain themselves rather than just operating on donations alone … in order to keep their essential products or staple food items in stock,” said McQueen.
Municipalities in North Wellington are experiencing even larger increases.
Presenting to Wellington North council in late June, the manager of the Mount Forest Community Pantry, Derek Bridgewater, said the organization has seen food procurement costs increase by 41 per cent in 2026 compared to the same period in 2025.
Crediting the increase to rising grocery costs and growing client registrations, Bridgewater said the pantry, which is located at 248 Main St. S., is projecting a potential 32 per cent increase in costs for 2026.
“It’s very, very expensive; a real eye opener,” said Bridgewater.
It’s a similar story at the Arthur Food Bank, with president Shawna Lougheed saying grocery costs at the local food bank, which is located at 146 George St., have climbed from $18,577 in 2024 to $28,206 so far in 2026- representing an increase of approximately 52 per cent over the last three years.
“So we’re seeing big increases every year … (the price of groceries) just keeps going up and up,” said Lougheed.
Even in Minto, Deanna Martin, the president of the Palmerston Food Bank at 215 William St., said their food costs have definitely increased in the last few months/year, which is putting pressure on existing resources at the organization.
“It’s tough out there, and it’s not going to get better any time soon,” said Martin in an emailed statement.
Beyond the high cost of groceries, McQueen said the increase in food procurement costs is in part due to the fact that the county’s food banks are serving the highest number of clients they ever have.
In June 2025, the Centre Wellington Food Bank was serving an average of 24 households a day; that number has since jumped to closer to 28 households per day, which McQueen called “significant” as that number was closer to 14 five years ago.
Feeding an average of 302 people a month, Bridgewater said the demand for service continues to rise in Mount Forest, with early 2026 data indicating a 46 per cent increase in the total number of clients served year to date.
Lougheed said the Arthur Food Bank saw a 34 increase in the number of families accessing the space in 2026 compared to 2024, serving 96 families in the first four months of 2026, of which approximately 40 per cent were children.
“We’re still receiving an amazing amount via donations and grocery partners, but, at the end of the day, if you have an increase in clients, we’re going to have more food out the door,” said McQueen.
To put it into perspective, Martin said the number of hampers the Palmerston Food Bank hands out has increased by approximately 40 per cent over the last three years, with the food bank seeing more seniors and working couples needing assistance.
For example, Martin said the food bank used to get more requests near the end of the month after people ran out of their budget and were waiting for another payment; now, the organization is finding that the beginning of the month is getting heavier as people are finding there’s “nothing left” after paying their rent.
While the food bank does its best to offer “extras,” which are items that are past their best before dates but are still considered perfectly viable and safe to eat, Martin said they’ve even noticed those donations are shrinking as well.
“This makes us feel terrible that we can’t offer more than a once-a-month hamper, but our resources and volunteers can’t sustain that kind of increase,” said Martin.
As all the county food banks continue to work to accommodate the increased costs and need, McQueen said the easiest way to help is to donate, whether it’s food or money.
In Mount Forest, Bridgewater said the organization is looking for support with some of its fixed operational costs, in addition to its hunt for a new location, which is needed to accommodate growing food volumes and needs.
“(This) will allow the pantry to redirect community donations toward food procurement, where demand continues to rise,” said Bridgewater.
East Wellington Community Services did not immediately respond to a request for comment about food procurement costs at its Rockwood and Erin locations.
Isabel Buckmaster is the Local Journalism Initiative reporter for GuelphToday. LJI is a federally-funded program.
By Isabel Buckmaster, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Original Published on Jul 07, 2026 at 13:20
Recent Comments