Loaded Ladle’s core principles

  • Emerged from La Via Campesina, a global peasant movement, as the right of peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods, as well as the right to define their own food and agricultural systems.

  • is when all people at all times can get the food they need to be healthy and active. This includes being able to afford healthy food that is within easy reach.

  • Acknowledges that our food system is not neutral; we do not have a level playing field. The rules, who gets to set the rules, and the functioning of our food systems contain oppressive and colonizing forces that create and sustain inequities.

  • All the activities of the Loaded Ladle take place on unceded and unsurrendered Mi’kmaq territory. We endeavour in our activities to respect the treaties of this land, and to align our practices with those of the current protectors of Mi’kma’ki. We would also like to acknowledge the histories, contributions, and legacies of the African Nova Scotian people and communities who have been here for 400 years.

  • The Loaded Ladle aims to uphold safer spaces in the kitchen, online, and during programming. This means that the kitchen is not a space for violence, racism, sexism, transphobia, homophobia, ableism, fatphobia, or harassment.

    Our kitchen is located in an accessible building with automated doors, accessible washrooms, and a variety of seating options.

    List of kitchen accessibility tools coming soon!

    Unfortunately, our kitchen is not completely barrier-free. Please contact volunteer@loadedladle.com if you face barriers to the Loaded Ladle.

  • To create direct action that provides student-run food services at Dalhousie University and the larger community, as an alternative to exploitative capitalist food services.

  • To create education, action, and solidarity about food security, food justice, and food sovereignty.

Mission

  • We are explicitly anti-capitalist, anti-oppressive, and anti-racist.

  • We engage meaningful participation by diverse groups of people.

  • We practice and promote care, solidarity, and community.

  • We practice open non-hierarchical decision-making.

Values

  • The Loaded Ladle imagines a food system based on care and solidarity, which opposes injustice.

Vision

Serve it to the system

Thank you NSPIRG, Campus Action on Food (CAF), and students!

In 2009, a working group of NSPIRGs called “Campus Action on Food” (CAF) was formed. CAF fought against the monopoly of corporate food services on campus. CAF began ladling out free homemade soup from an ironing board surface, often getting removed by security for providing food outside the Dalhousie’s food service contract. Despite institutional backlash, student support of CAF quickly grew. After many years, the DSU continues to partner with Aramark, giving them exclusive control and management of food service, with the exception of the Loaded Ladle. In 2010, CAF became the Loaded Ladle and registered as a non-profit in pursuit of autonomy from the DSU.

Meet the Community Kitchen