Collecting feedback from clients is a great way to process important information to better serve the community. Start by thinking about which specific questions would be asked and when it would be happening and how. The approval process has been going through the supervisor, CEO,…
Farmer’s Market tabling: Utilizing farmer’s markets as a way to network with local vendors, community outreach, volunteer outreach, and gleaning opportunities. To sign up to table, fill out the tabling application and email the market coordinators found on their website (Downtown and College Place markets)….
BMAC Food Bank is engaged with multiple programs that aid in food waste reduction and support local agriculture systems. Food banks are highly dependent on donations from grocery stores, individual contributions, and government contracts for fresh produce. BMAC operates a weekly grocery rescue program, collecting…
BMAC, in partnership with The Sustainable Living Center, is creating a new model for a community garden. Since the pandemic, Assumption Garden has lost momentum and volunteers. Located on Assumption Church’s property, the garden has the infrastructure including ADA accessible beds, an automated drip line,…
Coordination Coordination starts with contacting farmers via phone or in person, whichever is most convenient, to ask if they have excess crops or are finished harvesting for the year. Some farmers have annual gleans with crops like apples, melons, or pumpkins. Other farmers who have…
Gleaning Model The Blue Mountain Action Council (BMAC) Food Bank gleans produce from commercial farms and orchards, farmers markets, and residential gardens and trees. Most of the gleaned produce is within Walla Walla, Columbia, and Umatilla counties. The process of gathering information and planning is…
Take advantage of your community’s strengths! Walla Walla and nearby College Place are both towns with strong religious communities. WWCH partnered with two religious institutions – a United Methodist church and the chaplaincy at the Seventh Day Adventist general hospital – to establish fresh produce…
Culls and harvested donations made a huge impact in the amount of produce WWCH received this year. The Harvest VISTA would first contact growers to see how much extra produce was available and arranged a pick-up or drop-off. WWCH has access to BMAC vehicles, so…
Cooking Classes Contact the local university extension office or county offices to inquire on availability of any cooking classes offered. The Walla Walla County Health Department offers samples of freshly cooked meals at several food banks using affordable and easy recipes. Coordinate with the class…
Community Food Forums Many food bank clients who receive gleaned produce from WWCH or other community donations may not know how to efficiently use an abundance of seasonal fresh produce before it goes bad. During sweet onion season, for example, WWCH brings in thousands of…