Dear Friends,

With June comes the start of our favorite programs: programs designed not only to distribute food, but to bring us together as neighbors. To blur the lines between our backgrounds and bank accounts and unite us over the shared joy of delicious meals.

Lately, we’ve been learning how we can come together to take our food system into our own hands. With the help of Ken Meter, a food systems analyst, we dreamed of a new system and discussed how equity factors into the conversation. We envisioned a future that’s better for farmers, better for the earth, and better for low-income people. One where the food grown here stays here and where people of every class, creed, and color have affordable access to food that’s good and good for you.

Our community has a unique opportunity to turn the tables on a backwards system. There are several little things we can all do to move the power to the people and ensure good food is treated as a right. 

• You can shop for local foods at the farmer’s market or grocery stores. Ken suggests we challenge ourselves to Eat 5, Buy $5 worth of local food items per week. 
• You can donate to or volunteer for your favorite food organization. We’re partial to this one.
• You can review Ken’s report and decide where you belong in the movement. 

At the core of the movement is togetherness. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you’re from, if you like food and think everyone should be able to eat, then we’re in this together. 

In Gratitude,
Jeanne Liston, executive director
*photo by Jay Graham

P.S. Click here to listen to Jeanne and our friends at St. Luke’s on Idaho Matters with Gemma Gaudette from Boise State Public Radio!

P.P.S. Click here to read the full June Newsletter!

FROM THE FIELD

Our mighty farm team carved out some new garden beds taking Bloom Farm up another 12,000+ square feet! Now there’ll be that much more farm and food for you to enjoy this summer. 

HEN PARTY

Introducing our new grasshopper mitigation and egg production team! Our 12 feathered friends are a welcome addition to the Bloom Farm community. Come out to meet Tiny, Monster and the gang at a Volunteer for Veggies session and save some space on your plate for Bloom produce and maybe a few eggs this summer.

BLOOM YOUTH PROJECT

The 2019 Bloom Youth interns are hardworking, engaging, and quick to learn. As their confidence grows and their talents shine, they’re proudly taking ownership of their work. The students have weeded, planted, harvested, made goals, topped off a commercial sized greenhouse, and embarked on personal projects all within two months. And they’ve only scratched the surface of all they will accomplish over the course of the seven month internship.