Food To Bank On project
Food To Bank On
Managed in partnership with the Community Food Co-op's Farm Fund, the Food To Bank On project creates partnerships among new sustainable agriculture farmers, experienced growers, and area food banks to provide fresh, organic, and locally grown produce to low-income community members. The new farmers receive technical assistance, a mentor, attend trade meetings, and are paid market rates to deliver their produce according to a set crop schedule, thus bringing high quality food to the hungry and also preparing them to deliver to other clients such as restaurants and grocery retailers.
We facilitated the apprenticeship of six new organic farmers in 2004 and nine in 2005. These farmers not only gained experience but were also paid market rates to deliver hundreds of cases of fresh produce to local food banks. In 2006, we worked with eight farmers, focusing on expanding their opportunities to access niche markets and developing their businesses to augment and add value to the network of agricultural producers in the region.
