Community organizers are asking local farmers and gardeners to donate extra produce to the fifth annual Produce Bounty, a fresh-food drive that benefits low-income families.
From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday, fresh vegetables can be dropped off at the Exhibit Hall at the La Plata County Fairgrounds, 2500 Main Ave.
Erin Jolley, project manager with Cooking Matters, said the program sparked when organizers were taking into consideration the fact a lot of food produced in the region doesn’t always end up marketed and made available to the whole community.
“Sometimes, farmers grow lots of potatoes, and there are blemished potatoes that can’t be marketed, or sometimes there’s zucchini that’s just grown too large and people don’t want to buy them,” she said. “We created a venue where excess produce can make it into the hands of people who normally don’t have access to healthy, fresh foods.”
The Colorado State University Extension Office, Cooking Matters and Growing Partners teamed to create the Produce Bounty a half decade ago, averaging 2 to 4 tons of produce each year.
The program works with the Durango Food Bank’s Commodity Foods distribution program, which offers self-stable food such as canned or packaged items. The addition of fresh vegetables complements that list, Jolley said.
“This way, families walk out not only with boxes of cereal and cans of peaches. They also can have fresh spinach, peppers, onions, garlic – it’s amazing what all lands on our door step.”
Jolley said organizers contact local farms to let them know about the drop-off and try to get word to residents with small gardens that the option to donate is out there. Jolley is anticipating that more than 100 families will receive produce.
Cody Reinheimer, marketing manager for the Durango Farmers Market, said at the end of Saturday markets, farmers typically give extra produce to Manna Soup Kitchen. But once a year, when the Produce Bounty comes around, they direct that food to organizers at the fairgrounds.
“It’s important because the farmers market offers an equal access to nutritional food, and our local food is the freshest, most nutritious produce you can find in the area,” said Reinheimer, adding that each Saturday about 23 farmers participate. “And it makes me feel good to know families in our area are receiving some of the extra food.”
At the distribution, families will be able to pick up recipes and try samples from those recipes, Jolley said.
Many families strapped for cash tend not to purchase produce, but offering simple yet healthy recipes makes cooking easier. Cooking Matters offers classes regularly to low-income families.
“Cooking has not taken a priority in our culture, and we’re trying to reinstate that by showing people how to cook, that it can be easy, it can be affordable, but it does take some planning,” she said.
“You can’t hold a job if you’re not feeling well. You can’t thrive at school if you’re not feeling well. So we want to inspire people to eat and shop healthy on a budget and help make it as accessible as possible.”
Organizers are also asking for volunteers to help receive food during the drive’s hours and distribute food from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. Monday. For more information or to volunteer, call Jolley at (970) 529-8085.
The produce will be delivered Monday in partnership with the Durango Food Bank’s Commodity Foods program.
jromeo@durangoherald.com
