DENVER — Buying groceries is expensive. Buying organic, even more so.
Community Food Share, serving Boulder and Broomfield counties, is breaking down that barrier, by growing their own produce for their food bank.
"You realize that we're all connected," said Mark Hellberg, volunteer. "We're a neighborhood."
At Andrews Farm, it's neighbor, helping neighbor.
Volunteers help grow crops there for food pantries that serve the community. The land they farm is donated by Richard Andrews.
"It's a part that I can do to help my neighbors with my own hands and not money or anything else but just get the feel of the dirt and realize the stuff I'm going through is going to people that wouldn't have access to it," said Hellberg.
Hellberg has been volunteering with Community Food Share for two years.
"It's hard work," he said. "I go home tired, but that helps me think about what it takes to produce food that I take for granted every day."
All of the food grown there is fresh. It's organic and it's given to local families who need it.
"I think that everyone deserves access to fresh, organically grown produce regardless of income level or ability to procure that for themselves," said Katie Ketchum, offsite farm coordinator for Community Food Share.
She's the farmer who leads this operation with 50 varieties of crops.
"We grow a lot of peppers, tomatoes, lots of leafy greens," she said.
Since last year, she says they've seen a 60% increase in people needing food.
"Everything that we grow we try to grow according to what the community is asking for," said Ketchum. "People really responded asking for sweet potatoes so we’re trying to grow sweet potatoes for the first time this season."
They grew just under 10,000 pounds of food in 2022 with the hopes of producing significantly more this year.
Ketchum said it's volunteers that make all of this, possible.
"We wouldn't be able to operate the farm the same way without the hours of volunteer help that we get," she said. "So we really appreciate it."
"Really love helping provide food for people in Boulder counties and Broomfield counties," said Nicosia Hoenninger, volunteer.
Hoenninger has been volunteering with Community Food Share for four years with her son, Breck, 16.
"It definitely helps build a sense of community," he said.
From top-to-bottom, it's a community effort that everyone involved, benefits from.
"I love it because it's amazing to be able to help people but work in an environment like this," said Hellberg. "Everybody can help everybody, everybody. We're all neighbors."
If you'd like to help support programs like this one, you can help by donating to the 9Cares Colorado Shares Spring Drive. Community Food Share is also always looking for volunteers to help at their food bank or farm.
Click here to donate now or give when you shop at your local King Soopers.
Each dollar you donate will provide three meals to Coloradans in need in your community.
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