Food Security Programs with Housing Hope

The Snohomish Conservation District partners with multiple Housing Hope locations, assisting with resources and educational materials to help these locations lower the amount of households that are food insecure. This food bank profile is on the Family Village location in Monroe, and their enthusiasm for increasing access to locally sourced nutritious food. They have 13 raised garden beds, 3 of which are dedicated to growing food for the local food bank. Housing Hope is an organization which works to get folks back on their feet, offering resources to meet their basic needs. This community is drawn together by the social engagement the garden offers, connecting folks from many different ages and backgrounds. The vegetables grown are a reflection of the diverse audiences in the community, including raised garden beds which specialize in growing produce found in common recipes from Mexico, East Asia, and the American South. Allowing community members to have a place at the table in the decision making of what is grown enables a stronger connection to the food sovereignty movement, and can increase the connection to local food production.

In an effort to keep their food waste in a closed loop system, they are now able to generate compost from the vegetable scraps created when they process the harvested produce on-site. There’s a photo of their new bin in the slideshow.

Thanks for continuing to be a wonderful partner Housing Hope! We recently honored them as Partner of the Year at our recent 2019 Better Ground Showcase.

And, please contact Joe at jcrumbley@snohomishcd.org or by phone at 425-377-7028 if you are interested in a site visit or free veggie starts for your community group. He can guide you on the proper path!