Food Bank of North Alabama – Harvest News – Fall 2022

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FALL 2022

FARM FOOD IN OUR COMMUNITY The Farm Food Collaborative (FFC) is North Alabama’s first and only local food hub, operating out of the Food Bank of North Alabama since September 2014. To date, the FFC has generated almost $4 million in sales for local farms! This economic impact is multiplied more than twice over as local food dollars are re-circulated throughout the community and farm jobs are created and retained. Everyone from children in the school lunch line to families shopping at the grocery store have greater access to fresh locally grown fruits and vegetables. All of these things combine to achieve more food security in our region, which serves the Food Bank’s long-term mission of helping create solutions to end hunger. The FFC is a farmer-led program managed by Carey Martin-Lane and Natalie Bishnoi, and assisted by Brandy Talley. They are a dedicated team invested in supporting a robust and sustainable local food system by connecting small and mid-size family farms with wholesale buyers, handling the paperwork for sales, helping farmers market to consumers, and providing food safety technical assistance. Farm to school is a great strategy for accomplishing our mission because it equitably increases availability of fresh, local foods while bolstering the economic resiliency of area farms. This spring, the FFC coordinated more than $60,000 in strawberry sales to nine local school districts, plus early care and education facilities. In one week alone, more than 68,000 North Alabama students enjoyed fresh local strawberries! Plans are already underway for fall semester deliveries of Alabama grown peaches, apples, and more. Natalie and Carey are currently planning their 6th annual Apple Crunch Day event in celebration of National Farm to School Month. This year’s itinerary will include two field trips for North Alabama 3rd graders: one at Scott’s Orchard in Hazel Green and one at LouAllen Farms in

Moulton. Students all across the state will get to join in on the fun by registering with the Alabama Farm to School Program and biting into crisp, locally grown apples on Tuesday, October 18. Be sure to check your social media that day for awesome apple pictures! In addition to schools, you can find locally grown products in a variety of places in North Alabama this fall. Be sure to check out the pumpkin display at the Huntsville Botanical Gardens, featuring pumpkins grown at J.Calvert Farms in Bremen. Through the FFC, Haynes Farming in Cullman provides sweet potatoes and watermelons to all seven North Alabama Kroger stores. And restaurants like Farm Burger in Huntsville and Augusta’s Sports Grill in Cullman partner with the FFC for their weekly sweet potato supply all year long! The Farm Food Collaborative makes buying and selling local food easy. All you have to do is ask if your school, grocery store, favorite restaurant, or workplace cafeteria is buying locally grown fruits and vegetables. If not, have them contact the FFC team to get started. For more information, please visit foodbanknorthal. org/programs/ffc


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