Saturday, October 4, 2025
booked.net Call us at 613-908-9448
Eco-conscious : Print an issue, plant a tree! 

No products in the cart.

  • About
    • Contributors
    • Disclaimers
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Giving back
    • Mission Statement
    • Past Issues
    • Where to Find
    • Call us at 613-935-3763
The Seeker - Positively Local, Suporting Local
You could have reached 1,545 visitors today
  • Home
  • News
  • The Soapbox
  • Columnists
  • Events
  • Advertise!
    • Online
    • In Print
  • Puzzles
  • Videos
  • Contact Us
Seeker
No Result
View All Result

Full Bellies discount food store comes to Cornwall Square

Louise Mignault by Louise Mignault
May 13, 2023
in News, Louise Mignault
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0
Amy and volunteers

Amy and volunteers

If you talk to Amy Willis about the Full Bellies concept she will tell you that her progress has been an organic experience. Three years ago Full Bellies was essentially a group of friends buying food in bulk. As Amy is the mother to 8 kids, I can certainly understand this effort! Amy grew her bulk food group into a small business that served 40 people by operating out of her van. She then moved to a 37-ft bus serving a hundred but outgrew this in mere months. She opened her first store in St. Isidore serving three hundred people a week.

The business again grew “organically” and now Full Belly volunteers operate other stores and drop-off locations around Eastern Ontario. Amy had been prepping box orders for Cornwall when she was approached by Laurie St. Pierre about trying a Full Bellies mart at the mall. The location is perfect and it will be really interesting to see how Full Bellies evolves in Cornwall.

You might also like

Congratulations to Citizen of the Year Mike Turcotte and our Community’s Shining Stars at the Cornwall Chamber Business Excellence Awards 

“Orange Shirt Day 2025 in Cornwall: Remembering, Honouring, Learning”

Pumpkinferno lights up Upper Canada Village Oct. 3–Nov. 1: What’s new, what to expect, and how to go

The focus of the business is to provide fresh and nutritious fruits, vegetables, and local meats at affordable prices. When possible Amy buys from local suppliers and farmers. The caveat is that her cost has to be around the same price as “imported” food (non-local). The selection changes weekly based on costs and availability, but the store always tries to stock basics like potatoes, carrots, onions, cabbage etc.

What sets Full Bellies apart is its inexpensive pricing and unique approach to sourcing food. They start by purchasing “ugly food” which is less expensive because it is less appealing to high-end grocery store customers. This can include misshapen food, oversized veggies and produce that is dirty because it is field picked. In an effort to reduce waste, blemished food is cut up to remove defects and packaged into products like stir fry kits. Peelings, cut bits and food past its prime are saved for animal food bins and if something is really rotten, only then is it relegated to the garbage.

Full Bellies offers food education and exploration through its volunteers, who answer questions about the more exotic fruit and veggies that occasionally grace its shelves. The Full Bellies Facebook group features taste-testing videos and recipes and tips shared by the Willis family, volunteers and customers.

Full Bellies is made possible by groups of volunteers who believe in the concept and the value of their services to the community. While volunteers are welcome to take produce for their weekly needs Amy looks for the genuine type of volunteer – one who falls in love with the program and is happy to be part of it. Full Belly volunteers become a community. They tend to morph into local groups of friends who enjoy seeing each other and working together.

When I asked Amy how she made it work financially she told me that it “magically” balanced itself out. They do a fair bit of fundraising and clients with more often donate extra so that those with less can be supported. Overall, this is a great example of an intelligent community-supported business venture that benefits all. We wish them the very best of luck.

Full Bellies is located on the ground floor next to Continental Liquidation and they are open Saturdays from 12 noon to 4 pm. Depending on demand and volunteer availability – the hours might grow.

Tags: CornwallCornwall SquareGrocery store
Louise Mignault

Louise Mignault

Louise is an independent artist and writer. She writes opinion and editorial pieces about current events, politics and social issues. You can read more on her website at www.louise-mignault.com

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this column are the author's and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Seeker or any of its other authors.

Next Post
Kemptville Buskerfest Returns for Its Second Year

Kemptville Buskerfest Returns for Its Second Year

Categories

  • Advertorial (1)
  • Business & Finances (15)
  • Columns (687)
    • Archived (200)
      • Fashionably Marlene (13)
      • Filter-Free Zone (12)
      • For What it's Worth (37)
      • Fostering Change (2)
      • Grant Spills the Gravy (10)
      • Louise Mignault (58)
      • Memo from the Mayor (2)
      • Men Writes (26)
      • Mortgage Tips (1)
      • Seeker Snippets (22)
      • Take Note (6)
      • The Adventures of D.B Cooper (1)
      • Which Witch is Witch? (10)
    • Current (373)
      • Appreciating Contemporary Art (6)
      • Discover SD&G (43)
      • Douris Deliberations (9)
      • Friends of the Cline House (2)
      • From Sharyn's Pantry (8)
      • Gardening – Ask Anna (31)
      • Jay's Tech & Cyber Insights (4)
      • Keeping it Reel (28)
      • Local Spins from Bud's Records (9)
      • Mental Health Matters (14)
      • Out and About (54)
      • Outdoor Club (27)
      • Reality Bytes (8)
      • roadSIGNS (35)
      • Smart Move with Sondra (7)
      • The Resilient Life (5)
      • Transition Cornwall+ (19)
      • What I'm Reading (2)
      • Wondrous Life (37)
      • Yafa Arts & Craft (25)
  • Events (1)
  • Health & Fitness (11)
  • Home & Garden (11)
  • Interviews (160)
    • 5 questions with… (106)
    • Business Profiles (2)
    • Locals in the Loupe (50)
  • Leisure & Lifestyle (736)
  • News (2,656)
    • Ontario (1)
  • Politics (24)
    • Federal Elections (10)
    • Provincial Elections (10)
  • Science & Technology (46)
  • Sports (4)
  • The Soapbox (267)
    • Agree to Disagree (117)
  • This May Also Interest You (1,665)
  • Top 5 (1)
  • Travel (52)
  • Wellness and Wisdom (1)
  • You May Also Like (982)
Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube TikTok
Don't miss anything!

Get notified of all our new news by ringing the bell at the bottom left corner!

Content Safety

HERO

theseeker.ca

Trustworthy

Approved by Sur.ly

2024
Disclaimers
Stock Photos partially provided by our partner Depositphotos
The Seeker Newspaper is located at 327 Second Street E., Cornwall, ON K6H 1Y8 -- All rights reserved
The Seeker does not accept responsibility for errors, misprints or inaccuracies published within.Please note that the views and opinions expressed in news article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of The Seeker. The content provided is for informational purposes only and has been written from the authors’ perspective, aiming to engage and inform readers. The Seeker is committed to presenting a wide range of viewpoints and encourages readers to conduct their own research and exercise critical thinking when considering these opinions in the context of their own perspectives.
ISSN 2562-1750 (Print)

ISSN 2562-1769 (Online)
Accessibility Adjustments

Powered by OneTap

How long do you want to hide the accessibility toolbar?
Hide Toolbar Duration
Colors
Orientation
Version 2.5.0
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • The Soapbox
  • Columnists
  • Events
  • Advertise!
    • Online
    • In Print
  • Puzzles
  • Videos
  • Contact Us

© 2023 Reducing our footprint!   For every issue we print, we plant a tree!

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.