High Desert Food and Farm Alliance and Central Oregon Fill Your Pantry are working with the Bend Farmers Market and farms, ranches and bakeries around the region to ensure that Central Oregonians still have access to fresh and nutritious food despite uncertain federal funding. These organizations are raising money to ensure that food can be provided at no charge to people who need it at this event.
Central Oregon Fill Your Pantry is a bulk buying farmers market designed to help community members stock up on locally produced food for the winter. This year’s event will take place on Saturday, November 8th, from 11am to 3pm at the Deschutes County Fairgrounds in Redmond, Oregon.
“Under normal circumstances, SNAP and Double-Up Food Bucks would make Fill Your Pantry a critical opportunity for Central Oregonians experiencing food insecurity to buy bulk food ahead of winter,” said HDFFA Executive Director Kristin Points. “Our goal is to raise $15,000 before Fill Your Pantry to ensure that people who need it can still access fresh food at no cost. Our community’s farmers, ranchers, and bakers have offered to sell produce, meat, and bread, at wholesale prices making it possible for HDFFA to purchase these goods directly. Thanks to their generosity and collaboration, this locally sourced food will be provided at no cost while supplies last to community members experiencing food insecurity at this year’s Fill Your Pantry event on November 8th”
Bend Farmers Market will also be onsite at Fill Your Pantry to process SNAP transactions for customers who have any funds left on their cards from October and to distribute Double Up Food Bucks (DUFB) and Protein Perks. SNAP and DFUB increase access to local and nutritious fresh food while also supporting the local economy. Anyone interested in learning more about these programs is encouraged to stop by the Bend Farmers Market information booth at Fill Your Pantry.
HDFFA is a 501(c)3 non-profit serving Crook, Deschutes and Jefferson Counties as well as the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. HDFFA’s mission is to support a healthy and thriving food & farm network through education, collaboration, and inclusion. For more info visit hdffa.org. To donate to this campaign visit hdffa.org/donate
