Summer produce boxes help make ends meet, offer new tasty treats

August 29, 2022

Jessica’s a working mom, but for her — like many people — today’s inflationary economy has created a serious budget crunch. Sometimes her paycheck doesn’t stretch far enough to pay all the bills and cover cost of food for her household of eight: her mom and her six children ranging in age from 6 to 14.

She recently signed up for the Food Bank of Delaware’s Summer CSA program. Most of the produce in her weekly box is grown right on the Food Bank’s five-acre farm!

“This really helps a lot. My youngest daughter loves vegetables and fruit. Even when she was a baby, she would eat any type of vegetable,” said Jessica. This little girl looks forward to opening the box each week – along with her grandmother – to see what she’ll be able to enjoy.

“And for our family, it’s a chance for my kids to try new things. Like beets last week, my mom cooked them, and they enjoyed them,” Jessica said.

What about kale? No problem. Jessica said she found a recipe for air fryer kale chips. They turn out perfectly, and everyone was ready to eat them as soon as they finished cooking.

And there’s another bonus that comes with this box. “It’s a really good opportunity for us to have fruits and vegetables we wouldn’t be able to afford. Fruits and vegetables are the most expensive thing in the store.  After they try them, I purchase additional things in the store. I know they like them, and now I know what to buy,” she added.