Local. Ethical. Fresh.
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Our Commitment to Community Care
At the Scarborough Market, we want to make good food accessible to everyone in our communities.
If you are finding yourself in a tight spot and need some assistance with affording groceries, if you want to become a member but can't afford the membership cost, or if you have access needs and need help accessing the online store or require delivery, please fill out this form:
At Scarborough Co-op Market, we aim to imagine new ways to connect as a community. We are offering income opportunities through vendor spots, free of charge to anyone who makes or grows things in Scarborough. We are prioritizing buying from Black and Indigenous suppliers, supporting farms with ethical labour and environmental practices, and offering a wide range of culturally specific products to meet the diverse needs of Scarborough.
We want to make the market accessible and affordable for everyone. The Scarborough Market does not make any profits, and all money raised will be put directly back into the community and into making the market affordable to all.
Additionally, we are offering a Market Credit program, so that if you are unable to afford food from the Scarborough Co-op Market, you can receive some support to subsidize your purchase. We are also providing free memberships to anyone who can't afford the annual fee, and are committed to making the market accessible to everyone. See below for more details.
Lastly, we are also open to food trades! If you grow a bumper crop or have fruit trees that you do not make use of, please get in touch and we are willing to trade home-grown produce for market credit.
Want a grocery item we do not carry? Interested in a food trade? Do you make or grow something you want to sell?
What is a co-op and how does it work at SCM?
Co-operatives are organizations that are owned, operated, and run by their membership, in order to meet the common needs of the community. They are community-driven democratic in nature and allow the members to have a vote in how the organization is structured and runs to meet their needs best.
At the Scarborough Co-op Market, we believe in being community-driven, investing in communities, building a model that can meet the fresh food needs of all members of our community. This is why we feel a co-op model is the best one for our market. In our model, all customers of the market are members, and each member has an equal vote when it comes to questions of how to run the market, including what items to carry, how to invest any surplus money, and other aspects of how the market runs. Our market will run in a non-profit co-operative model, so all prices will be the lowest possible while also sustaining the market functions.
Membership will work on a yearly basis. We also offer free memberships to all our volunteers. If you are unable to pay for a membership and also unable to volunteer (we have both in-person and remote opportunities- check out our volunteer form on the main page if interested!), please contact us so we can still ensure the market is accessible to you.