Economic Development, Fresh Food, and Charity

"The Alberts could eat such high quality, fresh food because another local couple, Bronwyn Jones and Joe VanderMuelen, who live about 20 miles east of here, near Empire, brainstormed a way to feed the hungry while also supporting small family farmers facing their own economic woes. Their project, which they call the Fresh Food Partnership, is one of a small but growing number of efforts nationwide that are tackling two issues: The chronic hunger and nutrition challenges of people who can’t buy quality food, and the need of many family farmers for strong, stable markets in the face of low prices in the global commodities market.

...The Fresh Food Partnership, launched in 2003 by Ms. Jones and her husband, takes a strikingly different path. Instead of asking local farmers to donate their products, the partnership raises funds to buy it from them."