“Follow the Food” highlights the journey that produce takes from the auction floor to homes, restaurants, healthcare providers, colleges, and hungry mouths across the region.
Last week the Chesterhill Produce Auction (CPA) provided shares of local produce to 146 Buying Club members. This week we decided to Follow the Food and see how the produce goes from the auction floor to our Buying Club members’ kitchens. First, farmers drop off their produce at CPA and it’s sorted, tagged and organized on pallets across the auction floor. Justin, Rural Action’s Local Produce Distribution Assistant, makes bids on the produce. Here we were able to get some beets with their greens.
After the auction our team gathers all of the Buying Club produce and distributes it across all 146 shares, including those beets. Some members receive half peck shares ($15), others receive peck shares ($26), and a few go for the half bushel ($38). After the produce is distributed it gets loaded into bags and then into our distribution vehicles.
Then our drivers set out on their distribution routes to deliver to our Buying Club members. Here is a picture of Justin and myself excited to distribute produce at our Upcycle location
The end result is Happy Buying Club members with their beets and other produce.
We are no longer accepting new Buying Club members for 2021, but we highly recommend you put us on your radar for next season. Becoming a member is one of the easiest ways to infuse local produce into your diet and try new things. Buying Club sign-ups for next year will become available in the spring. Stay tuned on Facebook or email Molly Sowash at molly@ruralaction.org to sign up for email updates.
Click here for more information on our Buying Club and six pickup locations.
Alex Mykulyn is an Americorps Summer Vista member with Rural Action‘s Sustainable Agriculture team. He is a sophomore at Monmouth University where he studies international relations.
Write a Reply or Comment