The Fallon Food Hub has been awarded a $95,000 grant through the Nevada Department of Agriculture to provide fresh, local produce to food-insecure families in Churchill County and the Fallon Tribe. The Fallon Farmers Care Community Food Project will make locally grown food available at the Pennington Life Center on Tuesdays from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., and the Fallon Tribal Wellness Center on Wednesdays from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. beginning next week.
“This grant helps Fallon community members on both sides of the dollar,” said Kelli Kelly, the director of the Fallon Food Hub. “On the purchasing side we’re supporting the resiliency and solvency of local Churchill County agriculture producers and on the distribution side we are able to combat food insecurity by providing fresh fruits and vegetables to folks here at home.”
The Food Access Expansion Grant is modeled after the grant program the Food Hub received during the COVID pandemic and is used to pay local producers for their fruits and vegetables, and then distribute that fresh food to food-insecure individuals and families.
Kelly also said the Food Hub will be purchasing from local producers to provide fresh food to both the Life Center and the Tribal Senior Center for use in their congregate meals and also their Meals on Wheels program.
The program officially begins on July 11, at the Life Center at 11:30 a.m. The grant program is also providing some additional funding to offset farmer expenses for boxes and bags to provide portions, as well as travel expenses. Re-useable totes will be provided to families who take part in the program to make it easy for residents to transport their food.
“Anyone can come get food who is experiencing trouble,” said Kelly. “We won’t be checking anything. Our intention is to help people who need help.” She did say at the Life Center they will ask families to complete a brief information card that is used by the senior center to track services provided to the community.
Unlike the program the Food Hub ran through the pandemic where recipients were given a box of produce that were all the same, this program will allow residents to have a choice. “The way we are distributing it is intended for people to come in and chose, to take the food they want and are most appropriate for their families, which is especially important since we’re partnering with the tribal community and having sovereignty over making your own decisions about what foods are culturally appropriate and right for your family. We are trying to be sensitive to that.”
Decisions on what is provided week by week will be based on seasonal availability and feedback from residents participating in the program.
In 2020, the Fallon Farmers Care Grant allowed the Food Hub to provide 53,140 pounds of food to local community members. Kelly said the value of that was just under $63,000 wholesale that went to local farmers with the program impacting nearly 10,000 individuals. “We are expecting this year we will be able to do even more than that,” said Kelly.
“If your family doesn’t have access to fresh food, if you’re not eating at least one portion per day, you should feel like this program is for you,” said Kelly.
The Fallon Farmers Care food distribution will be available every week through the end of November.
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