Grow Six volunteers might ask someone walking by what types of greens, tomatoes, or peppers they would be interested in cooking and eating. Through its school programs, Grow Six asks what students do and do not like. Grow Six also works with UC Health patients who may have suffered a heart attack or stroke, needed a knee replacement, or are pre-diabetic, and the same questions. The hope is that asking the community what it likes will not only ensure Grow Six’s harvest is fully used, but also encourage healthy eating habits.

Across the world, it has become increasingly common to throw away surplus food. This became the practice in order to maintain price points. Source reduction, or reducing the amount of surplus food, sits on top of La Soupe’s food recovery hierarchy. But, what other options are there if surplus food already exists?  

La Soupe had the privilege of working with Mandela Washington Fellow, Koundé Cissé, for the past few weeks. Koundé owns and operates her catering business, Koundé Vision, in Mali, and came to America to diversify her dishes, expand her knowledge surrounding nutrition, teach cooking courses, and learn more about how to manage a large staff.

In 2020, La Soupe moved to Walnut Hills, one of the many predominantly Black communities in Cincinnati that no longer have their own grocery store. Rico Blackman, the founder of Black Power Initiative (BPI), another Walnut Hills-based nonprofit, said, "I can count at least ten predominantly Black neighborhoods that do not have grocery stores. I lived in one half my life, Evanston. I remember having to go to Norwood to get groceries or go to Corryville or even Oakley. My personal experience made me empathize and feel connected to the folks we serve in Walnut Hills."