Here’s what our first 8 weeks looked like:
- Launched at 3 markets: Santa Monica on Wednesdays, Studio City and Hollywood on Sundays
- Collected 14,777 lbs of excess produce from 82 farmers
- Distributed all 14,777 lbs across 9 local (within 5 mi) receiving agencies
- Who have served this prized produce in over 37,900 of meals for over 20,000 people in need
- Built a 20 member Glean Team, to whom I am forever indebted.
And above all it’s been a blast. Huzzah!
How we do it:
It isn’t rocket science. We arrive at the market and issue collection boxes to the farmers. The farmers fill the boxes with their excess produce. At the end of the market, we collect the boxes and distribute them to our receiving agencies.
What’s next?
We’re building an FMR community. We are a group of passionate food advocates who sit at the intersection of Farmers, Market Managers, and Receiving Agencies. We’re about getting things done instead of talking about getting things done (less talk, more rock). We serve local community members in need, and we want to keep growing.
If you are interested in joining this Farmers Market Recovery program, say hello at fmrecovery@foodforward.org.
-Mary Baldwin
Farmers Market Recovery Program Manager
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