A team of chefs and volunteers processed 800 pounds of donated produce from local gardens to create hundreds of meals for those in need.
Smiling faces and busy hands turned out for Food Rescue 605‘s Gleaning and Processing Day on Aug. 13, taking rescued items and making fast work of the task set before them. Nearly 800 pounds of produce was salvaged from area gardens, and chefs and volunteers from across the community banded together to create:
3 gallons of Swiss chard
9 2-quart bags of green beans
7 2-quart bags of corn on the cob
198 2-quart bags of mixed vegetables
3 gallons of marinara
216 jars of pickles
Union Gospel Mission and The Banquet each received a third of the pickles, and St. Francis House took the rest of the items, which they distributed to their partners. Nothing went to waste; the Glean for Good farm received the scraps, which they fed to their animals (see the video here).
Thank you to everyone who joined in the fun! It was an incredible day that showed the power of collective impact on reducing food waste and feeding those in need.
– Sioux Falls Thrive President Michelle Erpenbach
Partners Make It Happen
The Food Rescue 605 event was created through the work of Sioux Falls Thrive’s Community Food Security Network. More than two dozen volunteers pitched in to make the day a success. Chef Steve Morehead from Avera Health and Jessica Meuleners from SDSU Extension provided their expertise in leading this endeavor, creating recipes out of the donated produce in an Iron Chef fashion. Bread Break helped mobilize volunteers through their food rescue app, and Wesley United Methodist Church provided their kitchen for the event.
The 800 pounds of produce came from a variety of community donors. Falls Park Farmers Market provided hundreds of pounds of cucumbers, squash, and more, while Scheels donated apples left over from a recent event. IronFox Farm added beets, peppers, tomatoes, and zucchini. Local gardener Anna Gieschen donated Swiss chard, kale, and summer squash.
Next Gleaning and Processing Event Planning Under Way
Plans are in the works for another Gleaning and Processing Day in September. To learn more about Food Rescue 605 or to sign up to volunteer, email info@siouxfallsthrive.org or visit foodrescue605.org.
Click on the arrows to see more photos of the Food Rescue 605 Gleaning and Processing Day.