FORT COLLINS, Colo. — As the crowds begin to thin at the Larimer County Farmers Market, Ryan Ericson says it's not uncommon for a few heads of lettuce and kale to remain untouched at his farm stand.
The owner of Well Fed Farmstead says it's food he wouldn't be able to re-sell elsewhere, after sitting outside in the Fort Collins sun.
But thanks to a unique partnership with the Larimer County Food Bank, Ericson's produce is no longer going to waste.
As the market winds down, staff members from the food bank begin making the rounds, purchasing what's left from select stands.
"What we do is we buy it up from the farmers as the food bank," said Executive Director Josh Greene. "We pay them a wholesale price, and then we bring it back to our no-cost market here in Fort Collins to distribute the very same day."
The partnership allows the food bank to provide fresh produce that's not easy to come by, and might otherwise have been thrown away.
"This allows us to access that produce, it allows them to contribute to hunger relief without impacting their bottom line negatively, and it allows us to get the best produce that is possible for our clients," said Greene.
One in 10 Coloradans struggle with hunger and face times when there is not enough money to buy food.
Often, families may not have access to nutritious food when children who are not in school cannot access breakfast and lunch programs.
Many in the Colorado community will turn to food banks to help bridge the gap.
This summer, help us fill the food banks and pantries in our community by making a donation to 9Cares Colorado Shares.
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