Locally sourced hunger relief projects across the country

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Locally sourced hunger relief projects across the country

Calkins, J. G., & Mance, C. (2021). How partnerships shaped the Dane CARES Farm-to-food bank program. Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development. https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2021.104.023

Calkins and Mance (2021) conducted semi-structured interviews of 12 partners in Dane County, Wisconsin to assess the success of using Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding to bring locally grown food to food insecure households through existing and new partnerships. Based on their interviews, they offer anecdotal insights on the partnerships and identify complications that emerged preventing the partners from accessing the CARES funding needed to implement a farm-to-food bank program. This source offers a regional-level analysis of the COVID-19 pandemic’s effect on local food systems. Since the interviews are only semi-structured, they are not directly duplicable for our own project, but the authors’ insights provide helpful context on what may have prevented local organizations nationwide from utilizing CARES funding.

Ericson, S. (2022). (rep.). Exploring the Development of an Illinois Farm to Food Bank Program. University of Illinois. Retrieved from https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/handle/2142/114171

Ericson, S led a mixed method research into the potential for a state level farm to food bank project in Illinois. The research includes a feasibility study developed from interviews with 9 Feeding Illinois partner projects and farmers.

Rotary First Harvest. (2013). Washington State Grower Round Tables: Farmers First. Rotary First Harvest. http://www.rfhresourceguide.org/Page/Growers-Roundtable

Rotary First Harvest (2013) held modified focus groups, that they refer to as Grower Round Tables, with Washington farmers. They asked open-ended questions about food insecurity and farms’ participation in food bank programs. These Grower Round Tables provide insight into farmers’ perspective on participating in farm to food bank programs.