Walworth County Food Pantry harvests fresh greens – inside
While southern Wisconsin was getting buried in spring snow, volunteers at the Walworth County Food and Diaper Bank were harvesting their first crop of fresh greens in spite of the weather. Pantry volunteers then prepared fresh salads for patrons thanks to their new Flex Farms – indoor, vertical hydroponic growing systems.
The food bank purchased six systems from Fork Farms, and in March harvested the first healthy crop of lettuce. Fresh greens were displayed in the lobby’s fresh produce market – one of the most popular stops for patrons.
“Our focus on produce has a lot to do with health,” said Susan Hughes, volunteer managing director of the organization. “There are very few choices for the working poor when you go to the grocery store, so we’ve committed to changing that.”
In the last year, Hughes said they realized a 40% increase in patrons, many of whom were people who never before needed help. During the pandemic regional retailers donated produce, but the shelf life was short. Local businesses stepped in to fund additional produce purchase, but rising prices threatened the pantry’s ability to provide fresh produce.
“The Lake Geneva area is famous for resorts, but who takes care of the rooms, restaurants and bars? We’re typical of a resort town with a lot of lower paid workers,” Hughes said.
The Walworth County Food and Diaper Bank serves about 2,600 families, provides food for eight regional food pantries and weekend backpack programs for area school districts.
To meet need and the budget, volunteers started researching indoor gardening and that’s when they found Fork Farms, a Green Bay-based agriculture technology company that allows people and communities to participate in the fresh, local food movement. They learned more about the technology the firm created that harvests a crop every 28 days and requires very little labor and expense to operate.
The Flex Farm is a self-contained, vertical hydroponic growing system. The portable system only requires a standard electrical outlet and less than 10 square feet of space. Instead of sunlight, plants soak up the light from a compact LED lighting system. Just one Flex Farm can yield a harvest every 28 days.
For the families in Walworth County that utilize the pantry, this program can be life changing.
“We have taken our commitment of providing fresh, healthy food to our community to a new level,” said Maryann Zimmerman, general manager.
“With the pandemic, we have had to move to a system where our patrons did not get a lot of choice, having the fresh lettuce and produce weekly are steps toward normalcy for our volunteers and the ability to choose for our patrons,” she said.
Although the pantry has an outdoor garden in summer, it will continue to grow greens in the Flex Farms because yields are higher and the crop does not need herbicides or pesticides, according to Zimmerman.
Plans are also in the works to partner with local businesses, schools, and 4-H clubs so the fresh local food movement becomes a community project.
Above all, according to Hughes, food insecurity can happen to anyone and the food bank exists as a safety net for a large community.
“We want to provide food that will help people on their life journey, and perhaps change that journey. If Flex Farms are the way to do it, so be it. Fresh food should not be dependent on someone’s economic condition,” she said.
The Walworth County Food Pantry and Diaper Bank is at 205 Commerce Court, Elkhorn, and is open to all residents of Walworth County.
For more information, visit walworthcountyfoodpantry.org.
