Since 2017, Treasure Coast Food Bank has been processing unsellable crops from Florida farmers and producing chopped vegetable mixes, soups, tomato sauces and other prepared foods.
Its state-of-the-art food production kitchen equipped with a wash/chop/packaging system to convert whole produce into pre-cut refrigerated portions and a cook/vacuum-pack system to process raw vegetables into ready-to-eat meals and other products churned out on average of 3 million pounds of food per year.
Today, Treasure Coast Food Bank’s food production kitchen is a silver lining amid the coronavirus pandemic for farmers whose traditional markets are shut down.
“Our goal was never to replace the farmers’ existing markets for their produce but rather to supply an additional market for crops that traditionally couldn’t be sold. But with restaurants and cruise lines shut down, we’re providing our region’s farmers an outlet for their produce, which enables us to provide for the growing number of people needing food,” said Judith Cruz, President and CEO of Treasure Coast Food Bank.
Working with Feeding America and the Feeding Florida network of food banks, Treasure Coast Food Bank has been able to receive truckloads of fresh produce from Florida growers – selections that are ideal for making vegetable soup. Fresh zucchini, cabbage, yellow squash, potatoes, onions, tomatoes, peppers and other vegetables has become tasty and nutritious soups, giving the produce a longer shelf-life.
Treasure Coast Food Bank has made thousands of gallons each day of hearty vegetable soup to share throughout the Feeding Florida network and give people needing food a ready-to-eat meal.
The one-of-a kind kitchen is equipped with two steam jacketed “cooking kettles” that together produce 300 gallons of prepared food at a time. At full capacity, the kitchen can process 25 million pounds of produce annually.
One of the many missions of the kitchen always was to provide large quantities of meals during a disaster. In recent weeks, members of the Florida Air National Guard have become part of the crew helping to make soup.
“We’re glad to have partnerships in place with so many of our region’s farmers, and we’re very glad to be able to convert their produce into meals that so many people need right now,” Cruz said. “We’re also glad to have the National Guard working with us. Without their help, we wouldn’t be able to support our food bank network with thousands of gallons of delicious soup!”
