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Minnedosa Tribune Vo lu m e 144 N u m ber9
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2026
ON THE MOVE
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DAR R E L L N E SBIT T / M IN N E DO SA T R IBU N E Major streets in Minnedosa also serve as rural routes for those involved in the agriculture industry, no matter if it stems from livestock or grain. This livestock producer rolled through town with a small load of round hay bales on a recent overcast morning. This time of year, farmers are busy on various fronts, as they battle mother nature in a race to complete harvest.
M innedosa F ood Ba nk ea rns na tiona l a ccredita tion D O N ALD BERGER M inne d o sa Trib une
The Minnedosa and Area Food Bank has achieved national accreditation through Food Banks Canada, marking the completion of an extensive process designed to ensure food banks meet consistent standards for safety, accountability and client care. The organization officially received its accreditation status on
July 15. For a community food bank, the designation involves considerably more than receiving a certificate. The organization was required to demonstrate compliance across six categories, including governance and administration, people management, financial and legal requirements, client service and care, public engagement and fundraising. Each category contains multiple requirements that must be supported
by written policies, procedures and documented evidence of continuing compliance. Carol Brown, treasurer of the Minnedosa and Area Food Bank, said the process formalized many practices the organization was already following. The accreditation process took approximately two years, beginning in 2024. After a pause in 2025, the organization completed the work and received accreditation in July 2026.
Brown said many hours went into preparing the necessary documentation and formalizing practices the food bank was already following. One simple example is food storage. Refrigerator and freezer temperatures must be regularly monitored and documented, but accreditation also requires a procedure explaining what will be done if temperatures fall outside the acceptable range. “In practical terms, accreditation
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ensures that the food bank provides food to clients that has been handled and stored safely,” Brown said. It also creates another level of accountability. “While we have always acted in the manner described above, accreditation holds us accountable to a third party who has oversight into our operations to ensure that we continue to operate at an expected level,” she said.
SEE F O O D BAN K , PAGE 2