New Farm Partnership Yields Nutritious Food for Our Neighbors

by Kara Witsoe, Volunteer Writer

Fresh collard greens, carrots, green beans, eggplants, and winter squash sit in wooden produce bins in our marketplace, ready for food bank shoppers to make their choices. Many of these nutritious vegetables come directly from the soil of local farms and gardens that provide them free of charge during harvest season.

A new partnership with the Food Bank Farm in Snohomish yields even more produce than we currently receive each week from the Ballard Sunday Market, which donated over 15,000 pounds of vegetables to us last year. The farm, which is specifically set up to grow produce for food banks, is run by Holy Cross Church in Redmond. Food bank volunteer Tim Bernthal works at the farm and connected the organizations, which has created a very fruitful relationship between the two.

Ballard Food Bank piloted our gleaning program last fall, and it allows our volunteers to harvest fresh vegetables and fruit at the farm from July through December. In one week alone, staff and volunteers collected over 2,000 pounds of butternut squash. Last year, we received more than 13,000 pounds of produce from farms and p-patches that was available year-round to market shoppers and those enjoying meals in our Kindness Café. This extra produce is even more important as the amount of visitors to the food bank skyrockets.

“The number of clients we serve is the highest we’ve ever seen, and we’re spending a lot more money on food,” said Food Access Senior Manager Ysabel Diaz. “There’s an exponential need. Food prices are higher because of inflation and going to the store is more expensive for everyone, which is why we’re seeing more people.”

Sustainability is an ongoing issue. Food for our clients comes from generous donations from community members and businesses, farms, grocery stores, and bakeries. Recently, we’ve received fewer food products from some partners than we have in the past. Finding more long-term, stable resources is critical.

“We continue to pay more money for food so we’re trying to get creative with food sources,” said Ysabel. “Partnering with the Food Bank Farm is really important, and we’re saving tens of thousands of dollars. It feels like a sustainable path forward for us.”

Volunteers with La Marzocco harvested, planted, and watered vegetable crops at Food Bank Farm in July.

Volunteers fill shifts each Wednesday from 8am-1:30pm, which includes transportation or carpools to and from the Food Bank Farm. Many find the experience very rewarding. “It’s physical labor so volunteers get a workout in a beautiful setting. They get to see their food system at work. Getting into the dirt can be a very grounding experience to be a part of the growing process of food,” said Ysa. Giving back is equally important.

“We also help with the planting at the Food Bank Farm so it’s important that we don’t just take from the farm. A lot of our volunteers see the produce they picked going into someone’s grocery bag or prepping those vegetables in the café. They get to see the lifecycle of the food they’re part of. The more people that can help, the more food we can give people.”

Contact Ysabel at ysabeld@ballardfoodbank.org or 253-372-2554 if you’re interested in joining our harvesting team.