Food for People, the Food Bank for Humboldt County, is working with local partners in Garberville and Redway to operate two monthly, free produce markets for low-income families in Southern Humboldt.

The June distributions will be held Tuesday, June 12 from 10:30 a.m. to noon at the Garberville Presbyterian Church, located at 427 Maple Lane. The truck will then travel to the Redway Baptist Church, located at 553 Redway Drive to distribute from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Please note these distributions are being offered in addition to the distribution of food boxes at local pantries, no appointment is necessary, and anyone who meets income requirements is eligible to receive fresh fruits and vegetables for their household. The markets will also feature free recipes and produce samples, cooking tips, and assistance with CalFresh (formerly the Food Stamp Program).

Several community organizations will also be present with information about their services. For more information, please contact Food for People at (707) 445-3166. Participants are strongly encouraged to bring their own bags for carrying produce.

These produce distributions have been made possible thanks to two statewide programs. “Donate, Don’t Dump” is operated by California Emergency Foodlink in Sacramento, which captures market surplus for distribution to hunger relief organizations. “Farm to Family” is a project sponsored by the California Association of Food Banks that accesses produce from the farm fields in the Central Valley and other large agricultural producers and makes it available to food banks.

Food for People’s goal in bringing this produce to Humboldt County is to promote healthy eating habits among the low-income households it serves by offering fresh fruits and vegetables at no cost.