11-20-2007

How the Fresh Food Drive was born

Corn at Cook's Valley FarmA followup to our earlier report on the Fresh Food Drive. Back in August, Mel at Farm Fresh coordinated a corn-gleaning effort at Cook’s Valley Farm. Enthusiastic Gordon School middle schoolers accompanied by two teachers and a Fox Point Community Garden member spent a Wednesday morning picking 1,100 pounds of corn for the RI Food Bank.

Putting the event together was simple, harvesting was hard work, being on the farm was educational, the day was fun, and the amount of good was enormous. Exactly the kind of event that should happen more often. Hence October’s Fresh Food Drive was hatched!

The availability of veggies at food banks is often directly related to local agriculture. Food banks can often negotiate discounts on canned and non-perishable items from supermarkets. (So while we salute buying and donating cans, your dollars would be better spent going directly to a food bank or pantry.) They also often receive significant donations of aesthetically damaged goods. But it is much harder to obtain fresh foods from these stores. So the options available to those who rely upon food pantries are often only as healthful than the center aisles of the supermarket. That’s why the Fresh Food Drive is so important.

Also of note: A recent Washington Post op-ed about food banks and a NY Times video about a NY farmer’s relationship with a city food bank.