•January 12, 2022•
The goal was 1,000 pounds of produce; instead, the first year of Extension’s Partners in Produce project tipped the scales at over 25,000 pounds. With the enthusiastic support of the growers and buyers at the Arthur Produce Auction, University of Illinois Extension has provided more than 116,000 pounds of fresh produce to central Illinois food pantries in three years.
In early 2019, MaryBeth Massey, Illinois Extension program coordinator for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education, wanted to address food insecurity in her community. She was familiar with the Arthur Produce Auction and curious if a partnership, now called Partners in Produce, could start between Extension and the auction to provide excess produce to families in need. The auction is operated by the local Amish community and managed by Sheldon Raber.     Login or Subscribe to read the rest of this story.