MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) – Crossroads Community Farm in Cross Plains is one farm helping donate organic produce to local food pantries, supporting the growing need for fresh food.
The certified organic vegetable farm sells its produce locally and is growing its food access. They began a program in 2020, hoping to make fresh organic produce more accessible to everyone, not just people who can afford it.
“We are in a really tricky place where there are a lot of people struggling to put food on the table, and we want to do whatever we can to help in that,” explained farmer and co-owner of Crossroads Community Farm, Cassie Wyss.
The food access work has grown in the past five years.
This year, Crossroads Community Farm began a farm-to-pantry partnership where, using donations, the farm can provide fresh produce to Dane County food pantries.
“When you go to a pantry and the quality of the food there is so poor, it sort of communicates to you how you’re valued in society,” said Wyss, “You only get the canned stuff or you get the lettuce that’s already wilting that the farmer couldn’t sell, and so a big part of what we want to do is make people feel dignity when they get food and we do that by giving them beautiful, gorgeous food that’s the same as our paying, paying customers receive.”
Badger Prairie Needs Network is one food pantries receiving Crossroad Community Farm’s produce.
Barbara O’Connell says the need at pantries has grown exponentially.
“Especially now, we’ve had a lot of cuts in state and federal programs. So I mean it seems like every week we get more and more patrons coming through and the need is definitely there,” explained O’Connell.
O’Connell says they are thankful for the partnership they have with Crossroads. She says it is important to them to support local farmers and provide fresh produce to their community.
“Their produce is just unbelievable,” explained O’Connell, “We’re open all day on Thursday, by the time Friday morning comes, it’s gone.”
But Crossroads says there is too much demand for them to meet everyone’s needs.
“I’ve also had to turn away other pantries that have heard about what we do, have called and asked if we could supply them and ultimately, we still need to make sure that the people who work here are paid a living wage and are taking care of, and so we have a cost of production. So I’ve had to say no to some folks who’ve asked for help and that’s always really hard,” explained Wyss.
Wyss said they worked on growing donations during the winter season, as they are keeping busy with the spring growing season out in the fields.
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