Chico State farm to pantry program helps feed college students

A local organic farmer grows hundreds of pounds of fresh produce to be delivered to the Hungry Wildcat Food Pantry at Chico State.

Organic farmer is bridging a gap between butte county's local agriculture output- and some members of the community who might not otherwise be able to enjoy fresh vegetables.

A partnership between chico state and with grant funding - he is offering the freshest of the fresh - to university students.!

"it's so important to be able to bring fresh organic produce to the people in need."

The produce?

Fresh from the arth vegetables - homegrown at chico state's university farms' organic vegetable project.

"this morning i got lettuce, pomegranate, zucchini, and corn."

And some of those people in need?

College students, who relay on chico state's hungry wildcat food pantry."

"it's extremely critical.

All around the nation, people are lined up around the corner at food bank to get food and chico is no exception."

The u.s. department of agriculture reports that for 2019, 35.2 million people lived in food insecure households.

"it's truly farm to pantry.

Every week they bring in great vegetables like this and the students just love it."

"do you have a favorite vegetable?

I like to grow sweet pepper's like this&" project manager and organic farmer, grist, walked me through this three acre farm "we grow yearend.

In the dead of the winter we shift our focus to root crops, like beets, carrots, cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli."

My personal favorites, rows of aromatic basil.

Rows of corn that seem to call to you.

"what makes it work?

It's the heart and the love the that you put into the vegetables - and it feels so good to b growing it for people in need in my community."

Grist says none of the produce ever goes to waste.

The project also provides food for the butte county local food network.

And, the public can also enjoy - the farm stand is open fridays, 12-4pm.

For more information on the organic vegetable project - visit action news now.com, click on news, then newslinks.### people in one