Everyone’s Harvest Certified Farmers’ Markets Hit New Highs in Getting Healthy

2024-12-20 01:08:22 News & Society

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By the end of this tumultuous year, Everyone?s Harvest Certified Farmers? Markets will have hit high water marks in getting healthy produce to consumers through its various programs.

Marina, CA, December 04, 2020 ? By the end of this tumultuous year, Everyone?s Harvest Certified Farmers? Markets will have hit high water marks in getting healthy produce to consumers through its various programs.

According to Everyone?s Harvest Executive Director Reid Norris, Everyone?s Harvest is on track to distribute more than $175,000 in healthy food through its programs by the end of this year, food grown by local family farmers for the families in the community who need it most. Programs such as Fresh Rx fruit and veggie "prescriptions" from its partner physicians, EBT/Market Match and others, have been a part of that success.

In addition, 2020 has already been the best year ever for Market Match ? a program that doubles spending power at Everyone?s Harvest farmers' markets for CalFresh shoppers. Norris estimates that the CalFresh and Market Match programs will top out at $40,000 by the end of the year.

In 2020, more than 160 families are receiving a Fresh Rx fruit and veggie "prescriptions" from its partner physicians. Results tracked by doctors show healthy decreases in the majority of participants' BMI, weight, and waist circumference, and healthy lifestyle changes including eating more meals prepared at home.

?Everyone?s Harvest has been successful this year, and I attribute that to a lot of community support, being designated an essential business, doing things safely and programs that work,? said Norris. ?We?ve also been so lucky, none of our people have gotten sick and we?re getting through with a lot of perseverance and a lot of good luck.?

Norris said that putting health and safety protocols in place at the onset of the pandemic helped Everyone?s Harvest weather the ups and downs of this year.

?It?s still a safe, fun thing to do these days when there?s not much else to do,? he said about the popularity of Everyone?s Harvest?s five farmers? markets. ?We?re outside and we?ve had safety protocols in place since March.?

Norris said that there is a holiday break coming up for its farmers' markets in Pacific Grove and Marina, when farmers take a couple weeks off to relax and reinvigorate the soil for the new year. This year, markets will be closed Dec. 27 and 28 and Jan. 3 and 4, 2021.

For more information, go to www.everyonesharvest.org or call (831) 384-6961.

About Everyone?s Harvest
Everyone?s Harvest was founded in 2002 by Iris Peppard building on her capstone project as a student at California State University Monterey Bay. Since then, the small nonprofit has grown into a robust, values-driven 501(c)3 organization. It operates five certified farmers? markets and is a catalyst for health-related programs across Monterey County.

The mission is to provide access to healthy, affordable fruits and vegetables through certified farmers? markets and community food programs. The vision is for every community to have a fair and sustainable food system.

Contact:
Marci Bracco Cain
The Buzz PR LLC
Salinas, CA
(831) 747-7455
http://www.everyonesharvest.org