Written by Meggie Stewart, Communications and Program Expansion VISTA. Beginning in 2022, the Produce Education and Enjoyment Loop (PEEL) and Produce Buyers Club (PBC) programs at Concrete Jungle (CJ) are joining forces. PEEL is Concrete Jungle’s education program which lowers the barriers to trying new,…
Written by Danyelle Neumann, Fresh Express Mobile Farmers Market VISTA. Key to introducing healthier choices into people’s lives is educating the public on the produce available during the season. This includes how to prepare different kinds of produce they may not be familiar with. Such…
Since its inception, SETP has been committed to educating the community about fruit tree care and food preservation. They have offered a variety of classes such as fruit tree pruning, apple cider vinegar making, and best fruit varieties for the Inland Northwest. Many individuals in…
In order to engage volunteers, it is a good idea to expand their knowledge of local, available produce. New or unusual produce can be featured in the volunteer newsletter. This will encourage volunteers to come to gleaning events that might not otherwise interest them. A…
Once you have established a gleaning program and have fresh vegetables and fruits coming through your food bank doors, it is important to make sure that clients know how to prepare and cook with the produce. When you develop a great gleaning partnership, it is…
The food bank, while not solely focused on nutrition education, should consider the opportunity to take compassion a step further. One way is to provide access to diverse foods of high nutritional value and the means to prepare them in an appetizing way. If anyone…
During the second year of the program, Kitsap Harvest created 39+ new community partners. Most of these partners were accrued by providing education and gleaning resources to the staff and volunteers. We reached out to programs such as Kitsap Youth Leadership, WIC, Olalla Recovery Center,…
Promoting nutrition requires more than just providing food. It also involves education and outreach. Food bank clients have a diversity of knowledge, skills, and experiences with food that may vary by region, culture, or family. It is important to understand the needs of the people…
It is important to not only increase the availability of fresh, local produce in food banks but also to help educate the food bank population on how to cook, prepare, and store gleaned produce. This is particularly important when gleaning more unusual crops. First and…
Field trips are a great opportunity to connect with different student age groups, introduce them to local food issues, and even recruit future volunteers! For the last three years, Clark County Food Bank has hosted around 125 second-grade students from a nearby elementary school to…