EUREKA, Calif. — In the wake of federal funding cuts, two dedicated supporters of the Food for People food bank have pledged $50,000 to match every donation made to the food bank’s Locally Delicious Farmers Fund through June 6.
Melanie Williams and Barbara Goldberg made the commitment after learning that the federal government had ended a key program that Food for People used to purchase locally grown food from small farmers and other producers.
Williams and Goldberg said,
“When we learned this vital funding had been cut, we felt a sense of urgency. Farming is Earth-based, the growing season has begun, and we can’t wait. Our local farmers need our financial support now to ensure local seniors, children, and tribal people have healthy food again this season.”
For the past three years, Food for People said they received an average of $360,000 annually from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) Program, which funded the purchase of locally grown produce from small farmers. On March 10, that vital funding was abruptly cut, leaving a major gap for the food bank and local farmers. The funds enabled Food for People to purchase from local farmers through the North Coast Growers Association’s Harvest Hub, providing nearly 90,000 pounds of fresh produce last year alone.
“The unexpected cut to LFPA was a huge blow for us, and it is harmful for the local farming community,” said Carly Robbins, Food for People’s Executive Director. “Many farmers had already planned their growing based on these funds, some already have crops in the ground. This challenge to raise funds for our Locally Delicious Farmers Fund will help us keep supporting our local farmers and get fresh produce to our neighbors.”
The Locally Delicious Farmers Fund was created in 2010 by a group of women known as The Heirloom Tomatoes. The group’s dual goals were to ensure that people who access Food for People’s programs had access to more local foods and to support small farms and the local food system.
The challenge runs through June 7 or until their $50,000 goal is reached. Donations can be made by mail to Food for People, PO Box 4922, Eureka, CA 95502, or by giving online at tinyurl.com/Food-for-People-Farmers-Fund.
Williams and Goldberg said this is an opportunity for Humboldt to turn a setback into something positive,
“Together we can increase our resilience, strengthen our local nutritional security, avoid damaging long-distance shipping and monoculture practices, and guarantee that by late summer everyone at Food for People will know the taste of fresh produce.”
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