NEWS & OBSERVER -
BY BROOKE CAIN
The Inter-Faith Food Shuttle has long been a force of good in Raleigh, redistributing unused food from restaurants, grocery stores and other retail businesses to programs and organizations that feed the hungry.
The nonprofit group has expanded its mission – and it’s geographical range – in recent years, reaching seven counties and adding programs that teach culinary job skills as well as healthy eating and cooking.
The organization has also established three gardens in Raleigh and Durham – gardens that grow food to be distributed by the shuttle while teaching members of the community important skills.
▪ The Camden Street Learning Garden is located in a Southeast Raleigh food desert and has 32 community beds, a 420-square foot market garden, a food forest, a 6,000-gallon rainwater catchment system, two beehives, a greenhouse, a vermi-compost bin, a composting facility and a kitchen classroom.
▪ The Food Shuttle Farm, on Dover Farm Road in Raleigh, is a 10-acre urban production farm that grows fresh produce for distribution at Food Shuttle Mobile Markets. That site also has a farm stand, which reopened last week selling fresh produce and eggs from noon-6 p.m. Fridays and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays during the summer. The Food Shuttle Farm Stand accepts cash, check, credit or debit cards and SNAP EBT.
▪ Recently, the group turned an empty lot in Durham into the Geer Street Learning Garden. That site has 12 raised vegetable beds, a fruit tree garden, a cob pizza oven, small greenhouse, two beehives, a compost system, pollinator gardens and areas for community gardens.
The Inter-Faith Food Shuttle relies on donations and volunteers. To learn more or to help out, visit foodshuttle.org.