Harvesting Nourishment and Generosity
We are fortunate to live in an abundant agricultural state that has a generous agricultural community and provides access to fresh fruits and vegetables. As harvest season continues The Idaho Foodbank appreciates the generous donations from farmers and the opportunity they provide to improve community health.
Donations from our agriculture community help ensure that we have a variety of local produce for our partners to distribute to our neighbors in need. Forty-three percent of the food distributed in our last fiscal year were fruits and vegetables. Current inventory at our warehouses includes pears, apples, zucchini, carrots, and cantaloupe – just to name a few!
The Idaho Foodbank continues to have a strong partnership with the Berry Ranch in Nampa, which donates a variety of produce. Taylorview Farms in Idaho Falls donates 2 truckloads of potatoes nearly every month throughout the year. For several years, Marshall Public Library has collected over 350 pounds of fruit and vegetable donations from local gardens and then donates all of that to The Idaho Foodbank’s warehouse in Pocatello. These are just a few examples of the generous agriculture donors of all sizes that are part of our work to help people facing food insecurity. Collaborating with Feeding the Northwest has also enabled us to add variety by working with food banks in other states to share large agricultural donations of apples, potatoes, pears, and other produce.
Most Farmer’s Markets wrap up at the end of the month and these are great opportunities for communities to access fresh food. The Caldwell Farm to Fork Farmer’s Market on Tuesday evenings has some innovative ways to improve community health with access to fresh produce while supporting local farmers. Senior citizens can receive vouchers to buy fresh produce at the Market. There is also supplemental produce available at the University of Idaho Extension Backyard Gardeners booth. We collaborate with Southwest District Health to have nutrition education and recipes that use the produce available at the Market. This is also an opportunity to refer people to additional nutrition education classes.
Agriculture is the cornerstone of the work to make sure everyone has access to nutritious food and to improve community health.