News Release
Ventura, CA (October 31, 2023) – Beginning on Sunday, November 5, local nonprofit Food Forward Inc. will expand their produce recovery to Ojai’s Certified Farmers Market every Sunday. Ojai becomes the sixth market in Ventura County that Food Forward gleans through its Farmers Market Recovery program. Food Forward has been recovering produce in Ventura county since 2009 at farmers markets and at 900 backyards and groves, donating 100% of produce recovered to local hunger relief organizations in Ventura and neighboring counties.
“The gleaning of the Ojai Farmers Market builds on Food Forward’s longstanding mission to Share The Abundance,” said Samantha Teslik, Director of Community Programs. “Our commitment to the Ventura agricultural community allows us to partner with local farmers and work together to prevent hundreds of thousands of pounds of produce from ending up in landfills, while tackling food insecurity at a local level.”
The Farmers Market Recovery Program, which launched in 2012, connects surplus seasonal produce from local markets with hunger relief organizations. The program prevents quality produce from going to waste, offering a solution to farmers who have unsold produce and providing hunger relief partners a reliable source of fruits and vegetables for their community. Food Forward currently gleans 16 farmers markets throughout Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. For more opportunities to volunteer at the Ojai market and additional markets visit foodforward.org/volunteer.
About Food Forward Inc.
Food Forward fights hunger and prevents food waste by rescuing fresh surplus produce, connecting this abundance with people experiencing food insecurity, and inspiring others to do the same. For more details about Food Forward’s work and health equity, environmental impact, and communities served, visit foodforward.org or contact [email protected].
