Johnson County residents get access to free, healthy food thanks to local nonprofits

Johnson County community members are seeing expanded access to free, nutritional foods with the return of produce stands, a community fridge and other efforts designed to feed residents.

The Coralville Community Food Pantry, Holiday Lodge Mobile Home Court, the Modern Manor Mobile Home Park and the Pheasant Ridge Neighborhood Center are four sites where people can visit a free produce stand twice a month, regardless of income or household location.

The free produce stands are an initiative of Table to Table, a nonprofit that seeks to prevent food from being wasted and redistributes it to those in need, in partnership with organizations like CommUnity Crisis Services and the Coralville pantry.

"We are definitely in favor of reducing the barriers to accessing nutritious food," Allison Gnade, program and services manager, told the Press-Citizen.

Last year, Table to Table started a program to glean produce, or to collect fresh excess foods, from farm fields, Gnade said. Volunteers visited farms and gathered all the produce that was in perfect shape to eat, but due to various reasons, may not otherwise be used.

Table to Table collected kale, blueberries, corn, winter squash, potatoes and more.

One of the farms, Echollective in Mechanicsville, has already donated thousands of pounds of food to Table to Table this year, Gnade said.

“Since we increased our efforts to work with local farms and fill the gaps with volunteers to do the work of harvesting on farms, that really increased the fresh produce that we have available for our food pantries in the summer, and that's always a food category that we are always trying to increase,” Gnade said.

Preventing food waste and providing nutritional food through Table to Table

Table to Table developed free produce stands with food pantries, popping up at different locations. What’s changed this year is that the free produce stands happen at a fixed schedule and will continue through September or October, depending on the weather and how it affects the growing season, according to Gnade.

People can know in advance when these free produce stands will happen, acting as a reliable source of groceries as opposed to popping up at times that could be inconvenient for some, Gnade said.

The times and locations for each free produce stand:

• Coralville Community Food Pantry: Aug. 5, Aug. 19, Sept. 2, Sept. 16 from 4-5:30 p.m.

• Holiday Lodge Mobile Home Court: Aug. 9, Aug. 23, Sept. 13, Sept. 27 from 5:30-7 p.m.

• Modern Manor Mobile Home Park: Aug. 12, Aug. 26, Sept. 9, Sept. 23 from 5:30-7 p.m.

• Pheasant Ridge Neighborhood Center: Aug. 2, Aug. 16, Sept. 6, Sept. 20 from 4-5:30 p.m.

CommUnity Crisis Services Director of Supportive Services Sara Barth added that free produce stands have been scheduled so people can visit their mobile pantries and the produce stands, rounding out their food needs as opposed to having competing opportunities.

“One of the things that Table to Table is really working on is trying to get that good, nutritious food out and not have it just go to waste,” she said..

Food insecurity is often talked about in social services, but Gnade said nutritional security should be discussed more. Nutritional security is the “consistent access, availability and affordability of foods and beverages that promote well-being and prevent disease,” according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“Unfortunately, in our country, the cheapest foods are generally the least nutritional,” she said. “Predatory marketing has been telling families that their cheapest and most efficient meals are fast food, which we know is not true.”

Table to Table has increased its high-nutrient food collection, produce, meat and dairy, according to Gnade. That is now 63% of the food it collects, vs. 43% in 2019, knowing it’s what “food pantries want the most.”

Recent free produce stands have served 50-60 families each, increasing from 40 households over the season as word spreads.

Those that stop by are welcomed to take as much as they’d like, including taking some for neighbors.

Some have shared images of what they got and how they cooked it on Facebook.

“Sometimes we have some really good conversations at the free produce stands and everybody's talking about what recipes they're making (and) what they like to cook,” Gnade said.

How produce from local growers get into the bellies of Johnson County residents

Table to Table has received donations from 14 farms in 2022, including those that donate regularly after the Iowa City Farmers Market.

One example is Nam and Anna’s Garden, a family that sells Asian produce from their home garden at the market and who give to Table to Table.

There’s also Trowel & Error, a two-acre vegetable farm that began in 2019, providing produce through a Community Supported Agriculture program and farmers markets. Farmer Carly McAndrews told the Press-Citizen that, when you’re running a vegetable farm, there’s always going to some extra produce.

Table to Table volunteers went to the farm during a break week in its CSA program, in which a buyer purchases a “share” at the beginning of the season and receives a box of the seasonal produce grown weekly, according to the farm’s website. Crops were still producing, McAndrews said, but they needed the food to go somewhere.

It also helps farmers like McAndrews ensure that their produce gets out into the community, she said. The Johnson County community gets to enjoy vegetables like summer squash and zucchini.

Across from the Trowel & Error Farm is Grow Johnson County, a hunger relief and educational farm that began in 2015, according to its website. The farm produces more than 30,000 pounds of produce annually that is donated to partners across Johnson County, including the Iowa City Free Lunch Program and the North Liberty Community Pantry to provide fresh food to community members in need.

In 2021, between gleaning and farm donations, Table to Table collected 50,000 pounds of fresh produce in Iowa’s growing season from spring to fall, Gnade said.

Still, some challenges remain for organizations like CommUnity Crisis Services trying to provide for the community.

Barth said it’s been difficult for the organization to source affordable food for the pantry, which purchases some items in bulk. Other items have been limited, more than the organization has experienced in the past, she said, and things like dairy products and diapers have been a challenge.

“Everything is just getting more and more expensive,” she said. “You're getting less and less with your dollar.”

For folks stepping into the food bank, that means some days there’s no milk or eggs. Other days, it is limited, which means they’ll arrive early to be the first in line to grab what they need, Barth said.

Community fridge in the Coralville Public Library reduces the ‘stigma’ around food insecurity

Since late May, visitors of the Coralville Public Library have been able to enjoy free food via a community fridge.

Ellen Hampe Alexander, assistant director, said before the COVID-19 pandemic, library staff had noticed that kids were coming after school, staying until closing time, and being disruptive.

It was because they weren’t eating, she said.

With the Coralville Community Food Pantry’s help, the library began offering snacks to those who asked, later doing occasional community meals where people were invited to grab free food.

“One thing that the pantry really likes about us as a location is there not being any sort of stigma to coming in here,” she said.

The Coralville Community Fridge, located inside the library, is part of one of three projects supported by a $250,000 COVID-19 health disparities grant, John Boller, director of the Coralville Community Food Pantry, said in an email. The Coralville food pantry stocks the fridge. The food slightly varies at times depending on what the pantry receives, but has included bagged salads, fruit, bread, yogurt and baked goods.

In addition to what the food pantry provides, Hampe Alexander and Samira Abdalla, community resources navigator, have been visiting local businesses to gather more food, including Bruegger’s Bagels. Businesses or restaurants in town that are interested in donating their goods are encouraged to reach out to the library, Hampe Alexander said.

“We even are encouraging library staff to go out and take a look and grab something. And so we really want it to be a community thing and for there not to be a stigma attached to using it,” she said.

Paris Barraza covers entertainment, lifestyle and arts at the Iowa City Press-Citizen. Reach her at PBarraza@press-citizen.com or (319) 519-9731. Follow her on Twitter @ParisBarraza.

This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Community fridge, free produce stands help feed Johnson County