FRESH Program

Providing nutritious food at no cost to Hunger Relief Partners

FRESH Program

Need doesn’t have an expiration. When the USDA Farmers to Families Food Box Program expired in May 2021, Food Bank of the Rockies’ FRESH Program picked up where the government emergency program left off.  

The FRESH Program sources quality produce from in-state and out-of-state producers for distribution to our Hunger Relief Partners at no cost. In fiscal year 2024, Food Bank of the Rockies distributed an average of 1 million pounds of fruit and vegetables a month throughout our service area so every individual in our community can access fresh, nutritious produce items.

In fiscal year 2024, we partnered with 29 Colorado growers directly, plus two food hubs based in Carbondale and Hotchkiss that source produce from several dozen small growers across the Western Slope and Front Range.

Community members in need of food are invited to visit our partners for hunger-relief commodities. Use our Find Food locator to locate a Hunger Relief Partner near you.  

29 farms across Colorado were FRESH partners
Free of cost for partners and clients
1 million pounds of produce distributed each month through FRESH
2 food hubs sourced product from several dozen growers across Colorado for FRESH
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FRESH Program by the Numbers in Fiscal Year 2024

With the FRESH Program, nutritious produce is available free of cost for distribution by our Hunger Relief Partners

Local growers like Gwen Cameron, co-owner of Rancho Durazno in Palisade, Colorado, help nourish their neighbors with fresh produce that can otherwise be difficult to afford or access.

“Food Bank of the Rockies has helped me several times over the years when all my peaches ripened at once. When peaches get ripe, they need to move quickly or they’ll go bad.”

Gwen Cameron, Rancho Durazno in Palisade, Colorado

FAQs

Seasonal and assorted types and varieties of produce are available through the FRESH Program. Food Bank of the Rockies works to locate, procure, and distribute a variety of fresh, nutritious food items throughout the year.

Partners can order produce using Partner Express for either pick up or inclusion in their regular delivery.

A number of Hunger Relief Partners receive full pallets or mixed pallets of three to four different produce items in each delivery.

Partner agencies interested in receiving FRESH deliveries should contact partnersupport@foodbankrockies.org.  

Food Bank of the Rockies is committed to sourcing as many of our produce items as possible from local and regional growers while still providing a variety of fresh options through the whole year.  

In fiscal year 2024, there were 29 Colorado growers and two food hubs, which source produce from several dozen small growers across the Western Slope and and Front Range, that we worked with regularly, including: 

  • Hungenberg Produce, Greely, CO
  • Petrocco Farms, Inc., Brighton, CO
  • Talbott’s Mountain Gold, Palisade, CO
  • Tuxedo Corn, Olathe, CO
  • Milberger Farms, Pueblo, CO
  • Hirakata Farms, Rocky Ford, CO
  • Hoffman Farms, Greeley, CO
  •  

Many of our Hunger Relief Partners receive items weekly through the FRESH Program. FRESH items are also offered via all of our mobile pantries. To find food in your area, visit foodbankrockies.org/find-food

Our agricultural partners grow fresh produce and our volunteer packing department packs cases, pallets, and mixed pallets for delivery. These cases and pallets of nutritious produce are then delivered to our partners for distribution to our clients and communities.

While much of our FRESH produce is distributed through our normal ordering system, larger FRESH deliveries are also available for our partners. Once a Food Bank of the Rockies Hunger Relief Partner enrolls in the FRESH Program, a delivery schedule can be tailored individually for each participating agency.

Partners can order FRESH produce on Partner Express either for pick up or as part of their regular deliveries. 

Agencies interested in receiving FRESH deliveries should contact partnersupport@foobankrockies.org with questions and to enroll.  

FRESH produce is already available through Partner Express. Partners are able to order items either for pick up or as part of the regular delivery schedule.  

Partners who have ability to distribute a full pallet or mixed pallet of produce (1,000-1,200 pounds) on a weekly basis, plus the storage space and distribution models to quickly distribute this volume of produce, are encouraged to enroll with Partner Support for larger deliveries.  

Full or mixed pallets with three to four different types of items are available for delivery.  

Agencies interested in receiving FRESH deliveries should contact partnersupport@foobankrockies.org with questions and to enroll.  

Food Bank of the Rockies proudly offers FRESH Program food items at no cost to all of our Hunger Relief Partners; it is their choice to order the product or not. We also offer FRESH items at all of our 70+ Mobile Pantries.

To find food in your area, visit our Find Food locator at foodbankrockies.org/find-food. 

The funding for the FRESH Program comes out of Food Bank of the Rockies’ general operations budget. The cost of this program is approximately $360,000 per month, with $300,000 per month for sourcing and procurement.  

To donate to help keep fresh, nutritious produce nourishing our communities, please click here.

Read more about the evolution of the FRESH Program here.

To learn more about how Hunger Relief Partner Kaizen Food Rescue works to bring equitable food access to our community, including FRESH program items, please click here.

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