HPFB Garden provides education, food distribution through mobile food truck

AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) - The High Plains Food Bank is providing families in need with rice, vegetables and other necessities.

Thanks to the Garden, the food bank is also teaching people how to grow it themselves.

The Garden’s mobile harvest food truck makes two weekly distributions of fresh fruit and vegetables.

In the San Jacinto area, one husband and wife wouldn’t have three meals a day without the Garden’s generosity.

“Especially the San Jacinto area, us people are low-income people, they help out tremendously,” said Luis Preciado, local musician and recipient of the Garden’s mobile harvest distributions. “There would be times where I probably wouldn’t eat but once a day if it wasn’t for them. I eat about two to three times a day now.”

The Garden at the High Plains Food Bank’s urban garden teaching nutrition and self-sufficiency through gardening.

Students and parents across the Texas Panhandle learn how to grow fresh, healthy foods on a budget.

HPFB partners with multiple satellite gardens, making sure all residents in the panhandle have access to this education.

“As far as gardening goes, we have plants every year to give away (and) we have seeds every year to give away. People are welcome, the mobile distributions are open to everyone.,” said Justin Young, nutrition education director for HPFB. “I know this is a weird time and people who are not usually getting resources like that are getting them right now and we want them to know they’re welcome to come.”

The mobile harvest truck provides over 100,000 pounds of fresh produce to families each year.

“We’d probably just maybe be able to afford one meal a day, but because of the garden we we eat good and stay health. The people, they are wonderful people and they are very, very friendly and most of them know my name already. I love that. I feel very at home and comfortable coming here.”

This program has given struggling families a community during a difficult time.

At the start of the pandemic, the Garden was worried how they would evenly distribute all of the produce. but instead of fighting over food, recipients made sure all of their friends had enough.

“I was shocked to see just how generous and giving people were in that time. They really looked out for each other took care of each other,” explained Young. “Lots of people were picking up for each other. They had made relationships ever the past couple years we’ve been doing the program. If somebody was quarantined or somebody didn’t want to get out and get exposed, they would pick up for each other. So it really highlighted how it has become a little community and how they’re looking out for each other over just looking out for themselves.”

The Garden’s Mobile Harvest currently offers drive-through distribution on Monday and Wednesday.

To support the High Plains Food Bank and their gardeners, visit United Market Street between noon and 10:30 p.m. this evening.

The food bank will be accepting food and cash donations in the hope of reaching their one-million-meal goal.

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