A win-win asparagus delivery
This article was originally published in July 2020
Editor’s note: Manny Canales of Concrete-based Canales Produce delivered more than 300 pounds of fresh asparagus to the Ballard Food Bank and West Seattle Food Bank as part of the partnership between the Neighborhood Farmers Market Alliance and PCC’s partner food banks. He had this to say about the program:
This is helping the farmers because in this time that we are in we need to be able to sell our products, and to do that through this funding for food banks is helping. It totally helps. Having money up front and being able to pay it off in produce throughout the season makes such a difference. It costs us tens of thousands of dollars to get the fields ready before the season even starts, and having money to pay our taxes, prune our crops and buy fertilizer now is huge.
It feels good that people are getting fed and farmers are being able to survive and pay their bills. Especially in this time, what was I going to do with all of the product? My produce going directly to the food bank and then to the people is great. They are getting fed good, healthy food and farmers are being supported. This is all from the heart, this is honest, I can’t say how much I appreciate this program. If we can sell all the asparagus, that will cover the bills. There is nothing worse than to grow something so good and not be able to sell it.