Bigger and Better

This summer and fall has passed by in a whirlwind. The projects that began last year and during the winter are now in full implementation. The senior center bundle program is now double from last year and is a major task every week. We receive all the products from High Plains Food Co-op (HPFC) producers and farmers in the Arkansas Valley (AVOG) in Colorado. However, all these products arrive in bulk and we must repack all the boxes of fresh fruit and vegetables into more manageable bags, which can be a big job. On one of our largest weeks we were able to pack over 150 bundles in only a few hours.

In addition to the Senior Bundle Program, I have also implemented my own bundle program or CSA (community supported agriculture program) in my neighborhood called FarmCycle. FarmCycle delivers fresh, local produce and eggs directly to consumers in Stapleton every other week by bike. The first season of FarmCycle went very well with a clear proof of the concept of delivering directly to homes works instead of having pick up points like many other CSAs. This is far more convenient for the consumers and expands the population of people that can access local food that comes directly from farmers.

In addition to the bundles of fruit and producer I have been working on expanding the volume distribution of eggs and now meat. During the height of the summer chickens could not lay eggs fast enough to meet the demand in the city. We have also begun to add in a few other products. This allows us to reach out to more people and bring quality local food to more consumers, which is one of my major goals. Hopefully this can continue through the next year and beyond.