{"id":73880,"date":"2019-08-09T00:39:19","date_gmt":"2019-08-09T00:39:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/garden-project-starts-weekly-fresh-produce-distribution\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T16:03:16","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T16:03:16","slug":"garden-project-starts-weekly-fresh-produce-distribution","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/garden-project-starts-weekly-fresh-produce-distribution\/","title":{"rendered":"Garden Project starts weekly fresh produce distribution"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"Jim
Jim Eaton selects fresh vegetables from the Manna Market Produce Share this week at the Durango-La Plata Senior Center. Brooke Frazer, center, with the Garden Project of Southwest Colorado, and Halle Leganza, right, with the Good Food Collective, work at the produce stand. Eaton lost 140 pounds over 10 months while eating vegetables from the Manna Market.<\/span>Mary Shinn\/Durango Herald<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Durango resident Jim Eaton lost 140 pounds in 10 months. His secret: backstroke swimming and eating vegetables from the free Manna Market produce stand at Durango\u2019s soup kitchen.<\/p>\n

Three food-centric nonprofits \u2013 The Garden Project of Southwest Colorado, The Good Food Collective and Manna soup kitchen \u2013 are working this summer to provide fresh produce to more people, including those who are unable to drive to Manna Market, said Ann Morse, executive director of Manna.<\/p>\n

To ensure transportation is not a barrier to eating well, the nonprofits are working to deliver weekly food boxes to clients of the Durango-La Plata Senior Center, Women\u2019s Resource Center, Roberta Shirley Head Start Center and Pediatric Associates of Durango, said Brooke Frazer, Manna garden and food security programs manager for The Garden Project<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The nonprofits are also distributing food at a secret location for immigrants, she said.<\/p>\n

A two-year grant from the Colorado Health Foundation<\/a> is funding the effort, she said.<\/p>\n

The fresh food produced by local farms is expected to improve residents\u2019 health by decreasing their reliance on calorie-dense foods and nonperishable items, which can increase their risk for heart disease and other chronic diseases, she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you are food insecure, you are always having to make that decision between buying something that\u2019s nutrient dense versus calorie dense,\u201d Frazer said.<\/p>\n

The nonprofit plans to distribute 32 boxes full of seasonal vegetables each week for 12 weeks to residents through the program, Frazer said. The boxes feature gleaned fruit, such as apricots, provided by the Good Food Collective, she said.<\/p>\n

Residents receive the boxes for $10 a week if they are not signed up for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program formerly known as food stamps. Those who are signed up for SNAP receive boxes for $5 a week. The boxes are currently free while the nonprofits set up a payment system, Morse said.<\/p>\n

The grant also provides funds for soup kitchen staff to sign residents up for SNAP benefits, Morse said.<\/p>\n

SNAP and cash payments for the food boxes will help the program sustain itself over time and support the farmers who are providing the produce, Morse said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s creating a viable local food system for people of low income,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\"Brooke
Brooke Frazer, with The Garden Project of Southwest Colorado, shows off the greens that participants in the nonprofit\u2019s new weekly food distribution program will receive.<\/span>Mary Shinn\/Durango Herald<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

At the Senior Center, the nonprofits are also giving away produce to residents who may be interested in a smaller quantity of food than they would receive in a box.<\/p>\n

Helen Jauregui was among those who picked up a few vegetables from the Manna Market Produce Share on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a great thing people are sharing things with the folks that are here because (the seniors) might not have access to the fresh veggies, and frankly I might not either,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

mshinn@durangoherald.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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