PRESS RELEASE FROM THE COASTAL CONSERVATION LEAGUE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, MAY 13, 2020
Contact: Diane Knich, Communications Manager, [email protected], (843) 530-0211
Coastal Conservation League ramping up local food deliveries with U.S. Department of Agriculture contract
CHARLESTON, SC – The Coastal Conservation League will be able to substantially increase its deliveries of fresh, local produce to families in need thanks to a new contract with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Under the USDA Farmers to Families Food Box contract, the Conservation League’s local food hub, GrowFood Carolina, will provide fresh fruit and vegetables from our partner farmers and prepare 30-pound food boxes with a variety of seasonal items to be delivered to families in need.
Starting May 15, food boxes will be delivered to families that have recently found new homes with the help of One80 place but often don’t have enough food, been served by the group Enough Pie in North Charleston, or that currently live in workforce housing owned by the Humanities Foundation. The contract allows for more than 1,000 food boxes to be delivered through June 30.
“The Conservation League created GrowFood Carolina to support South Carolina’s small farmers and get local food to our local communities,” said Coastal Conservation League Executive Director Laura Cantral. “During the Covid-19 pandemic, that mission is more vital and urgent than ever. We’re thrilled that the USDA contract will help us substantially expand our efforts to get produce from local farms to families that desperately need it during these tough times.”
Anthony Mirisciotta, GrowFood’s General Manager, said that since the pandemic started, GrowFood has been working hard to get fresh food to local families in need. “In recent weeks, thanks to the generosity of our supporters, GrowFood has been able to raise over $16,000 and deliver nearly 10,000 pounds of food to our friends at the Lowcountry Food Bank and other organizations committed to keeping our coastal communities fed. Thanks to the USDA program, we’ll be able to expand both our reach and the amount of local food we deliver.”
Founded by the Coastal Conservation League in 2011, GrowFood Carolina partners directly with 100 growers producing on a combined total of 2,500 acres throughout South Carolina. Through these partnerships, we have provided 350 products to over 300 restaurants and 25 grocery store locations, returning over $7.2 million to local farmers.
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The Coastal Conservation League is a nonprofit advocacy organization dedicated to protecting and advocating for coastal South Carolina and the relationship between its people and the land, water and wildlife. We work to ensure equitable access to clean water, air, and energy, a transportation system that includes public transit, bicycles, pedestrians, and automobiles, and farms and forests that drive rural prosperity and serve South Carolinians with fresh, healthy, local food, and abundant wildlife thriving in natural habitats.