Great News from The Food Bank of South Jersey!

I’m so pleased to bring you this press release from the Food Bank of South Jersey:

South Jersey… Feeding the hungry, saving the environment and lending a hand to New Jersey farmers is a tall order…but the Food Bank of South Jersey might just have figured out a way to do all three: and the answer can be found in a 12 ounce jar of peach salsa.

On Thursday, October 25^th, the Food Bank’s CEO, Val Traore, will join other area politicos and legislators to roll out distribution of Just Peachy Salsa through local ShopRite stores for the holidays– a win for the nonprofit organization that developed a unique product using support from both private and public partnerships.  The press conference, attended by Congressman Rob Andrews and House Assemblyman Lou Greenwald will take place at 10am at Springdale Farms in Cherry Hill, NJ. Springdale, one of the last working farms in the area, has sold the salsa continuously all summer, frequently selling out as consumers continued to buy the sought after salsa. Mayor Cahn from Cherry Hill and Mayor Kneib from Pennsauken will also attend.

“These days it pays to be financially creative,” says Traore “so we put on our thinking caps and developed those partnerships to help make it happen.”  Traore is speaking of the cooperation she received from three sources:  Eastern ProPak Farmers Cooperative in Glassboro, who provided the peaches; Campbell Soup, whose Camden pilot plant manufactured the product; and Shoprite, who distributed the salsa to multiple locations. The product is also sold through 15 other small boutique outlets in the area.

Just Peachy Salsa was made from salvaged New Jersey peaches, produced in the Campbell Soup pilot plant in Camden, and distributed through many South Jersey ShopRite area stores. Low in salt and low in sugar it has over 50% fresh New Jersey peaches with no added artificial preservatives or flavorings.  In addition, the salvage project reduces food waste going to local landfills, lowering the amount of methane gas produced.   And by preventing these peaches from reaching a landfill, the Food Bank estimates it saves farmers about $85,000/year in dumping fees.

Though other food banks across the country have salvage projects, this is the first time such a product has been sold through retail outlets to the consumer.

“We’re the little engine that could” explains Traore. “And we did.”

About the Food Bank of South Jersey

The Food Bank of South Jersey is a 501 (C) (3) nonprofit food distribution center that provides perishable and shelf stable food to more than 173,000 adults, seniors and children that are at risk of going hungry in South Jersey. The largest and only nonprofit food distribution center devoted entirely to South Jersey, the Food Bank of South Jersey has distributed over 120 million pounds of food – the equivalent of nearly 101 million meals since its inception in 1985. For more information, please visit: http://www.foodbanksj.org

Related posts:

1. Everything is Just Peachy at the Food Bank of South Jersey
2. September is Hunger Action Month
3. Apple and Cinnamon Chutney Recipe