A group of volunteers will travel to the Rinehart Family Farm outside Boone to harvest half a mile of produce as part of the Greater Des Moines Buy Fresh Buy Local’s Go the Distance project. The campaign will then distribute the produce through the Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC) Food Pantry Network warehouse.

The project expects to deliver more than two tons of fresh, locally grown produce to families using Central Iowa food pantries. 

Greater Des Moines Buy Fresh Buy Local, a project of the Drake University Agricultural Law Center and Iowa Heartland Reserve Conservation and Development, joined DMARC Food Pantry Network and three sponsoring members this year to help low income Central Iowans eat more fruits and vegetables. 

Rinehart Family Farm, Kitchen Collage of Des Moines, and Cultivating Compassion: The Richard Deming Foundation are providing the resources for volunteers to help grow a mile worth of vegetables, including sweet corn, potatoes, squash, onions and green beans. The 12 DMARC food pantries and the Food Bank of Iowa will distribute these fresh vegetables.