While some 50 people regularly pick up free produce at the Senior Center of Patagonia on Mondays, for the past couple of weeks that distribution has halted.
Borderlands Produce Rescue in Nogales, where Tony Purifie gets the goods, has been void of edible fruit and vegetables. Purifie, who heads the Senior Center’s produce program, said some of the problem relates to the seasonal swap of crops in Mexico. But some of it is a border issue.
“I think they’re having a little trouble getting the stuff across the border,” Purifie said.
Jim Staudacher, president of the East Santa Cruz County Community Food Bank in Patagonia, believes the former reason is the main factor.
“This time of year it’s expected — that there’s almost nothing,” Staudacher said. “In fact, we used to close down in July and not start again until November — until the harvest came in from Mexico.”
While availability of free fresh produce has been absent, the need has not diminished.
“In the last three or four months we have been distributing about 100 supplemental food bags at our regular distribution every month,” Staudacher said. “Normally in the summer that drops down to around 80. So yes, we’ve seen a bunch of new faces.”
With Thanksgiving right around the corner, the food bank will be looking for help to make sure everyone can have a proper holiday meal.
In the meantime, Purifie will continue to visit the Borderlands food warehouse in Nogales each Monday to see if — and what — he can acquire for local families.
For more information, or to make a donation to the East Santa Cruz County Community Food Bank, visit https://escccfoodbank.org/.