Food bank’s innovative plan to farm gives residents a hand up
Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter
Brian Allen shows off a board of ideas and plans at Greater Washington County Food Bank in Centerville.
Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter
Greater Washington County Food Bank in Centerville
Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter
Inside Greater Washington County Food Bank’s thrift store in Centerville
Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter
A room is available for classes and meetings at Greater Washington County Food Bank in Centerville.
Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter
A rendering of a shipping container greenhouse Greater Washington County Food Bank plans to build.
Greater Washington County Food Bank is breaking new ground – literally and figuratively – to meet the needs of the county’s food insecure residents.
Situated on 25 acres just off Route 40 in Centerville, the food bank has gone beyond its traditional mission of handing out food to those in need by turning to farming to provide healthy food for clients.
The food bank also is tackling the causes of hunger and poverty by providing educational programs that teach food literacy – nutrition, cooking, gardening and budgeting – and life-skills training.
And, the food bank is working to develop a regional agricultural economy with an innovative field-to-fork venture it launched on The Farm.
When complete, The Farm will include hydroponics and aquaponics facilities, greenhouses, a composting facility, a grass-based chicken, egg and meat operation, a state-of-the-art educational facility, a section for growing hops that will be sold to breweries, fruit and berry orchards and more.
Said Brian Allen, economic development agricultural liaison for the food bank, “We are trying to address hunger through innovation. That’s literally our moniker. The idea is to remove the stigma associated with using a food bank, and to work together as a community to raise up and empower and support each other.”
The food bank’s model of supplementing nonperishable food with fresh foods also addresses health issues associated with food insecurity.
Many without access to fresh food end up relying on cheap, processed food that increases their risk for diabetes, hypertension, obesity and other ailments related to poor diets.
More than 25,000 Washington County residents are food insecure, said Connie Burd, executive director of the food bank. More than 30 percent of food bank recipients are children under 18, and more than 20 percent are seniors.
The food bank, which serves roughly 3 ½ percent of Washington County, was created in 1983, and distributes food through its network of 49 distribution sites and seven agencies located throughout the county.
Plans to expand the services of the food bank began more than seven years ago, when the building was located in Eighty Four.
The food bank moved into a 24,500-square-foot warehouse in 2015.
“I am thrilled with the direction we are going,” said Burd. “The holistic approach to providing for the basic human needs of this community is being responded to.”
In July 2016, the food bank opened its Healthy Habits Training Center, built with a grant from UPMC and the state Neighborhood Tax Credit Assistance Program, and a grant from Walmart. It hosts classes ranging from chef-led cooking classes and barista-led brew school to zumba classes.
Also on-site is Country Thrift Market, which offers new and gently used items.
Volunteers and staff built 32 raised beds this year, and the produce harvested from the beds will be a source of fresh, healthy food for the people who need it.
This spring, students from Upper St. Clair School District and volunteers from The Meadows Racetrack & Casino helped plant 70 fruit trees donated by the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation, and installed hundreds of feet of deer fencing.
Trinity Area School District, which has a robust vocational agricultural program, recently donated 6,000 pounds of potatoes harvested by students – along with $17,000 raised by staff and students – to the food bank.
“We value our partnership with the food bank because we know it directly impacts many of our families,” said Dr. Michael Lucas, superintendent of Trinity Area School District, noting more than 300 families in the school district rely on the food bank. “We do our best to partner with the food bank and provide it with additional funds because we see it as a way of directly helping our families in the community.”
The food bank also is working with local high schools and universities, including California University of Pennsylvania, to create farm-based curriculum that will include certificate and degree programs.
Currently, The Farm is installing a dozen-and-a-half 40-foot-long shipping containers that will house high-tech hydroponic farms, purchased with a grant from EQT. Clients, students, veterans, social program participants and volunteers will grow produce such as lettuce and cucumbers in the containers.
Trinity, which grows produce in its own shipping container located at the high school, is providing The Farm with students from the vo-ag program and Fab Lab who, along with a Cal U. student, will share their expertise to help the food bank convert their shipping containers into hydroponic farms that will each yield the equivalent of two to three acres.
“I thought it was incredibly innovative on the food bank’s part to help get produce straight from the land to the people in Washington County who need it the most,” said Ellen Rossi, EQT Foundation manager. “We can’t wait to see (the freight farm) in action, to step inside and see it full of produce, and then see them distribute it. It was a different way of approaching things versus traditional food bank systems.”
Allen said the food bank plans to implement its multifaceted program over a seven-year period.
Eventually, there are plans to move small, historic structures onto the farm for Airbnb rentals.
“We are going to have an extended curriculum that includes weekend courses. You pay tuition to the food bank to take the agricultural course – it might be bread making or beer making – and you can stay overnight in these small structures. When they’re not being utilized for a course, we will rent them out through Aribnb, and that money is funneled to the food bank and allows us to (help) our clients,” said Allen.
There are also plans to increase access to the land by loaning and leasing farmettes to start-up and established farmers, and to provide space for local farmers and artisans to sell their goods. The food bank also aims to construct a stage for entertainment.
The food bank has established relationships with local volunteers, individuals, groups, organizations and businesses, who help carry out the food bank’s mission.
Currently, it employs 14 people – up from three employees in 2015 – and, Burd said, as plans are implemented, more people will be hired.
Allen is betting that developing a regional agricultural economy will help the food bank’s bottom line, boost the local economy, and empower community members to take a more active role in the food system.
“We’re hoping this place becomes a hub, and a lot of integral components are functioning in many directions to help it work,” said Allen. “We’re creating a whole new regional economy based on agricultural endeavors that will help our clients and the community. We’re growing forward. This is a hand up, not a handout.”