*|MC:Fresh Food Connect | Apr22|*

2021 RECAP

GARDENER HIGHLIGHT

We talked with Eloise from Denver, CO to learn more about her gardening experience and why she uses Fresh Food Connect!

1. How long have you been gardening?
18 years

2. What is your favorite thing to grow in your garden?
Last year it was Fireball Cherry Peppers. It was my first try and they are sooo good pickled! Year to year it would have to be Shishito Peppers, so reliable and prolific, and yummy!

3. Do you have a secret gardening tip you'd be willing to share?
Try everything! Use what works for you and forget about what doesn’t. Oh, and try Winter Sowing. Super fun and easy!

4. Why do you choose to support Fresh Food Connect?
Donating to Fresh Food Connect is such a great way to participate positively in my community.

5. Anything else you'd like to share with the Fresh Food Connect community?
It is just about impossible to grow a garden that just feeds the members of one household, there is always more of something! With Fresh Food Connect it is possible to grow as much as possible without worry about food waste. The program is set up so that the produce is delivered and eaten the same day you donate.

INFORMATIONAL WEBINAR FOR POTENTIAL OPERATORS

Do you know of organizations that might be interested in becoming Fresh Food Connect Operators? Learn about Fresh Food Connect from a panel of current gardeners, Heather and Terrance, and operators including Jamie Anderson from Denver Food Rescue, Stacey Evers from Hands on Harvest, Mim Michelove from Healthy Day Partners. During the 1-hour webinar you will not only learn what it means to become an operator, but also hear directly from these operators about their experiences with Fresh Food Connect, what it has meant to their communities, and the results of their partnerships. RSVP for our informational webinar for potential new operators on Wednesday March 23 at 1:00 MDT.

MEET OUR OPERATORS

Sheboygan County Food Bank - WI

The Sheboygan County Food Bank's mission is to lead Sheboygan County’s efforts to increase the food security of its residents by distributing healthy emergency food and fostering innovative partnerships. They distribute food to food pantries and other partner agencies in Sheboygan County. Their partner agencies then put food into the hands of their neighbors who need it most. All food they deliver is absolutely FREE. There is no charge for food, delivery, or partner agency network membership. All food they deliver is LOCAL. They stay true to our roots by serving LOCAL families in Sheboygan County. On any given day, about 11,000 of their neighbors in Sheboygan County struggle with hunger. Each month, they provide over 70,000 pounds of healthy, nutritious, and free food to make sure that over 3,000 families don’t go hungry.

Learn more about their efforts, here!

The Food Drive - MA

The Food Drive’s mission is to promote food access, food justice, and climate action. They partner with commercial and community sources to rescue wholesome food that would otherwise go to waste and deliver it directly to local pantries, programs, and people within an approximate five-mile radius. A significant portion of their rescued food is fresh produce, helping to bridge the shortage of healthy food available to people in poverty. They believe that community-driven positive action will impact the root causes of hunger and climate change.

By the Numbers
230,000 pounds of food distributed since November 2020
16,000 average pounds distributed monthly
190,000 total meals provided
13,500 average meals provided monthly
$384,000 total value of food distributed
108,000 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions prevented
7500 average pounds greenhouse gases prevented monthly
35,000 pounds donated via community food drives
1400 total rescues
80 volunteers and 40 partner organizations

Learn more about them here!

When to start planting?

Are you itching to get your hands in the dirt?! Learn more about planting peas...it's time.

GARDENING TIP FROM

Getting your garden ready!

March is the start of many gardener’s season, particularly if you’re starting a new garden, improving it, starting seeds, or even planting early season crops. Regardless of how involved you are in the garden; March is a great time to make plans for the season coming up. Learn more here.