Foodbank of Santa Barbara County hosts a week dedicated to the Backyard Bounty program to celebrate Santa Barbara’s fresh, locally grown food, to stock the Foodbank with nutritious produce and to encourage the community to fight hunger through harvesting local produce.
The week’s events run Oct. 17–24, 2015, and include harvesting, donating and registering 100 new volunteers and 100 new trees to harvest.
“During the late fall and winter the Foodbank has less access to fresh produce to keep our warehouses stocked,” said Erik Talkin, CEO of Foodbank of Santa Barbara County. “Luckily Santa Barbara County’s fruit season peaks when we need it most. Join us in celebrating this beautiful time of year and help make sure that everybody in our community has access to fresh local produce.”
Santa Barbara is well known for its agricultural abundance; in fact, 4.85 million pounds of fresh produce is distributed each year by the Foodbank. Yet, millions of pounds of food go un-harvested in fields and neighborhoods across our region.
Backyard Bounty is dedication to changing that by gleaning — an opportunity for communities to come together and help fight hunger right in their own backyards, while connecting with their neighbors, reducing food waste and creating a healthier community.
Upcoming Backyard Bounty Activities
» Wednesday, Oct. 21, 5:30–6:30 p.m. at Foodbank of Santa Barbara County Warehouse, 490 West Foster Road, Santa Maria: Backyard Bounty Hunter Info Session
If you live northern Santa Barbara County here’s your chance to keep food from going to waste and increase access to fresh local produce!
» Thursday, Oct. 22, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Back Door Deli, 315 Camino Del Remedio, Santa Barbara: Food Day Fair
Join us to learn more about how to donate or volunteer with Backyard Bounty.
» Saturday, Oct. 24, 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Santa Barbara Farmers Market: Fresh Food Drive
Celebrate Glean805 — the first joint effort between five organizations across San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties — and learn how gleaning can help keep good food from going to waste and ensure that everybody in our communities has access to fresh, local produce.
For a full list of Backyard Bounty activities, visit: http://backyardbounty.org/events.php
— Kerry Allen is a publicist representing Foodbank of Santa Barbara County.