by Bryan Robinson

Produce travels an average of 1,500 miles before it arrives at our local supermarket. That’s a little more than the distance between Cleveland and Denver. Along the way, our fruits and vegetables utilize enough modes of transportation to create a plot for Planes, Trains and Automobiles 2. This journey often leads to an eight-day time frame between harvest and consumption, not to mention emissions from transport.

City Fresh would like to take about 1,425 miles off our produce’s voyage. With the goal of building “a more just and sustainable local food system in Northeast Ohio,” the organization is helping to reduce emissions and provide fresher fruits and vegetables to the communities of Cleveland.

City Fresh employs “community supported agriculture,” where a group of neighbors purchases a share of produce from local farmers. The farmers receive payment upfront for a bounty of produce throughout the growing season. Food is picked-up directly from a farm within 75 miles of the neighborhood and brought to a local Fresh Stop station on the same day. Weekly “share bags” are constructed based on the growing season and what is available locally. Bags contain at least one fruit item and several servings of vegetables, in addition to recipes and nutritional information. Participants pay within one week of the pick-up date, and portions that are not taken are donated to food banks. Two shares are available: a single share feeds 1-2, and a family share feeds 3-4, ranging in price from $6.00 to $24.00. The program runs between June and October.

City Fresh assists both urban and rural communities. It improves access to fresh, locally grown food for urban residents, but also provides marketing opportunities to local farmers.

City Fresh is in need of volunteers to do tasks ranging from unloading trucks and setting out food to taking orders and accounting, so give them a call!

To learn more or sign up for the program visit: http://cityfresh.org