of peaches and strawberries and lettuces and celery … that’s just fabulous,” she said. Helping hands Such appreciation is being seen across the state, with similar efforts being coordinated through agencies such as the Ca l i fornia Department of Food and Agriculture, which partnered with the California Association of Food Banks on a Farm to Fami ly Program. Other initiatives are grassroots, including that of Mary Maranville, who learned growers were happy to pitch in when shelter-in-place orders turned worlds upside down. Maranville runs Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture, or SEEAG, in Ventura County. Its mission is to teach young people about the origins of their food. She wanted to help the county’s farm employees and their children, who were out of school because of the pandemic, through SEEAG’s Ventura County Child Wellness Initiative. Maranville’s main partner was Oxnard berry grower Reiter Affiliated Group, which she said has a large number of farm employees and its own health program, Sembrando Salud (“sowing health” in Spanish). When she was done working the phones, more than a dozen farms and agricultural businesses had agreed to donate portions of their harvest. Maranville hoped for
enough to fill 275 bags per week for Reiter—and ended up with enough celery, onions, avocados, oranges and greens to fill upward of 500 bags. “It’s above and beyond generosity,” she said. “They just stepped up to the plate when they were asked to.” One of those who readily joined in for SEEAG was San Miguel Produce of Oxnard. The two aren’t strangers—they’ve worked together on educational initiatives for years, saidMegan Ichimoto, SanMiguel’s marketing and product development manager. Her farm contributed bags of kale, chard, collards and mustard greens. “It’s really great for us to be able to give back in a small way,” Ichimoto said. “This pandemic hit everyone very differently, and it was very sudden, but to be able to provide hea lthy and nutrit ious greens to our community … it means a lot.”
Kevin Hecteman khecteman@californiabountiful.com
MORE ONLINE Watch at www.californiabountiful.com as staff and volunteers at the Imperial Valley Food Bank work to meet the needs of their community by packing and distributing boxes of food.
Want to help? Here’s how
Food banks depend in large part on public generosity to do their work. One of the easiest ways to pitch in: Send money. Stefanie Campos, left, marketing and communications manager at the Imperial Valley Food Bank in Imperial, said cash is discouraged as a COVID-19 precaution, but checks, online donations and over-the-phone contributions are welcome. Though some programs are reimbursed through federal funding, that doesn’t cover all of a food bank’s costs, she said. People who want to volunteer their time can help with a variety of tasks, Campos said, such as bagging food and working at distribution events. Volunteers should be healthy adults who are not at high risk of infection and should be in good shape to handle lifting, standing for long periods and high temperatures found in much of the state during the summer. Want to send food, as many farmers are doing? Campos recommends donating staples such as canned protein, cereal, pasta, spaghetti sauce, canned fruits and vegetables, rice and beans. Food should not be at or beyond its expiration date. In addition to these general tips on helping, be sure to contact your local food bank for specific ways to contribute. Not sure who to call? Visit the California Association of Food Banks website at www.cafoodbanks.org to find one in your area.
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