COMMUNITY PROFILE PEACH ORCHARD NEAR PALISADE, COLORADO. MT. GARFIELD IN THE BACKGROUND. COURTESY OF SUSAN JUSTICE. WEST SLOPE FOOD BANK PRESERVES EXCESS FRUIT TO FEED KIDS BY JACOB RICHARDS IN THE HEART OF WESTERN COLORADO’S AGRICULTURAL BELT, there is a one-of-a-kind program being pioneered by the Food Bank of the Rockies Western Slope: fruit dehydration. The food bank, which serves 110 partner organizations food pantries in its 13-county service area, and local sometimes gets overwhelmed with fresh fruit and produce during harvest time. But now, excesses from local farms and orchards are being dehydrated and turned into healthy treats for kids across Western Colorado, all year round. The food bank’s dehydration facility is a licensed food manufacturer and turns apples, peaches, bananas, and other produce into healthy treats. “It’s the only program like this among the 200 Feeding America food banks,” said Sue Ellen Rodwick, director of the Grand Junction-based nonprofit. “We are even making fruit leathers,” she said. “We had tons of peaches last year — more than we could deal with — so we froze them and now puree them to make the fruit leathers.” The dehydrated produce is distributed to kids via Totes for Hope, Kid’s Aid, and other agencies around Western Colorado. They hope to someday produce enough to provide dehydrated fruit snacks to their Denver, Northern Colorado and Wyoming partners, too. DIRECTOR SUE ELLEN RODWICK, IN THE MASSIVE REFRIGERATOR AT THE ETKIN FAMILY DISTRIBUTION CENTER. CREDIT: JACOB RICHARDS 10 DENVER VOICE August 2024 COMMERCIAL DEHYDRATOR, AT FOOD BANK OF THE ROCKIES WESTERN SLOPE’S ETKIN FAMILY DISTRIBUTION CENTER. CREDIT: JACOB RICHARDS
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