Two local organizations have partnered to feed families in need.
Recently, the Sheboygan County Food Bank announced a new partnership with Manitowoc County’s Sullivan Family Farm to help provide their guests with fresh, locally grown produce.
Ryan Sullivan, co-owner of the farm with his wife, Jaclyn Sullivan, told SeehaferNews.com about how this new relationship came to be.
“Jodie had just reached out and just cold-called and said, ‘We’d like to start working with local farmers as much as we can,’” he recalled. “I invited her to come out to the farm and showed her what we’re doing, how we produce, and it’s still new, the relationship, but this has been an absolute best-case scenario.”
The Jodie whom Ryan mentioned is Jodie Zajkowski, the Logistics and Warehouse Manager at the Food Bank.
She also spoke to us about how important this and other partnerships like it are to feeding families.
“We have a lot of food that goes out, you know. 100,000 pounds of food a month goes out into our community,” she explained. “But we are really trying to focus on healthy food. But the next step that we’re taking this year is to get, obviously, the fresh produce, but have it be locally sourced. So, we’re helping others out. Now, we’d like to support local farmers, and it’s very important to us.”
Sourcing locally grown food also ensures that those who stop by the Food Bank are getting the freshest produce they can will some of it even being picked that same morning, something that Ryan also touched on as well.
“We’re able to deliver down to the Sheboygan area. We were really blessed last year with a new refrigerated van,” Ryan told us. “That’s super important for us so we can get fresh from the farm, cold. They’re receiving what they want within 24 hours of harvest. That’s super important that we can get it to them in really good shape.”
While this partnership is still relatively new, Zajkowski and the Food Bank are grateful to be working with Sullivan Family Farm, which is doing its part in making sure families know where their next meal is coming from.
She noted, “It just means so much to be able to work with families and groups of people that just want what’s best for everybody. Food is medicine, as they say, and we know that this is going to just do so well for everybody who receives it.”
To close, Zajkowski encouraged other local growers who are interested in a similar partnership to contact her via email at jodie@sheboygancountyfoodbank.com.
