The Moose Jaw and District Food Bank are jumping for joy after a massive donation from an area farm.  

The Huron Hutterite Farming Company donated over 1,700 pounds of fresh produce earlier this week. Included in the donation were carrots, zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes, beets, corn, and much more.  

“It was very nice to see with our non-perishable food items really going down this year due to a lack of food drives,” says Moose Jaw and District Food Bank Operation Manager Terri Smith. “It’s really nice to get that fresh produce so we could add that to our hampers and also help out a lot of non-profits as well.” 

Smith explains that due to donations like this with one, their weekly food hampers are stocked nice and full for their clients.  

“It’s nice to see your client's faces when you can give them that fresh produce that they can’t afford right now," says Smith

This larger donation was part of many that the food bank has received this summer, which Smith says is unusual. 

“A lot of colonies have been dropping off a lot of produce, their gardens have been very lucrative this year. A lot of local gardeners bringing in their excess of tomatoes, cucumbers, you name it that’s what’s been coming in and we’re trying to hand it out in a timely fashion so we don’t have any wastage.” 

Smith adds that these fresh produce donations as of late have been very welcoming, as they have been making up for the lower-than-normal non-perishable donations, due to the rising inflation rates and other factors affecting residents' pocketbooks.  

As we head into the cooler months, the food bank does expect those fresh donations to slow down, but they have a plan in place to hold them over through the fall and winter.  

“There are talks about the Better Together Food Drive being back to normal again. It is in the works and we can get going on that.” 

Due to COVID-19 over the past two years, the Better Together Food Drive has only been taking monetary donations, but this year they are hopeful the event can return and receive enough food to hold them over. The food drive is scheduled for Oct. 31.  

Smith concluded by thanking the entire Moose Jaw and area community for their continued generosity with food donations, and her hard-working staff and volunteers.   

Those wishing to book a food hamper or more information on how to donate to the food bank can do so HERE