COVID-19 halted many everyday activities. This new normal is showing Indiana communities that they need to rise to the occasion and do what is necessary to help those struggling with the effects of this pandemic. 

At the start of the pandemic, many Indiana residents struggled with rising unemployment rates. Food security became a growing issue for Hoosiers losing their jobs. However, Purdue Student Farm workers and ACE Campus Food Pantry volunteers worked together to help the community overcome obstacles. 

Purdue Student Farm 

The Purdue University Student Farm was originally established as a learning tool for undergraduate students. Co-director and founder Steve Hallett says the main goal is to educate students about crop and economic sustainability. While this past growing season produced high yields, in regard to the farm’s economic stability, “it was a disastrous selling season,” Hallett says.

The farm previously sold most of its produce to the Purdue dining courts. When the pandemic started, the dining courts were forced to close. The farm had to decide what to do with produce that would soon be ready for harvest. This harsh reality negatively impacted the farm’s savings, Hallett notes. However, certain measures were taken to keep the farm profitable in light of the extenuating circumstances. 

The farm manager, Chris Adair, was concerned about the financial strain the pandemic placed on the farm. The farm began selling Community Supported Agriculture boxes in an attempt to remain financially sustainable. The CSA boxes were filled with vegetables such as kale, tomatoes and peppers.

The boxes were available for pickup at the Purdue Student Farm at designated times to help promote social distancing. What wasn’t sold in CSA boxes was donated to the local ACE Campus Food Pantry and other food pantries in Lafayette, Ind. 

Adair says the amount of produce they donated each week varied depending upon what was harvested during the week. “We simply donated when we could,” Adair says. “They are a huge operation, and our donations are only a small part of their work, but we are one of the few donors who can supply high-quality, fresh, nutrient-dense veggies.” 

To maintain the farm’s harvest schedule, social distancing rules were implemented. They had to decide how to handle interaction among student workers. The goal was to maintain the safety of all student workers on the farm, Adair says.

The new rules included requiring face masks inside the barn and requiring all workers to practice social distancing in the field. The Purdue Student Farm wanted to retain as many of its students as possible and continue educating them. Steps taken to ensure the safety of students in turn ensured the safety of the produce donated to local food pantries.

ACE Campus Food Pantry

The ACE Campus Food Pantry was established to help battle food insecurity affecting the Purdue community. The pantry provides produce to anyone with a Purdue ID card. The pantry also actively works to educate people about food-related issues, such as food utilization, in hopes of ending hunger in the community. The goal is to bring an end to the need for food pantries. 

The coronavirus outbreak in March did little to help the ACE Campus Food Pantry complete its goals. Staff adviser Vanessa Pacheco says she experienced initial concerns about losing most of the food pantry’s volunteers. She worried they wouldn’t meet the rising demand for the pantry’s resources. 

“Seeing the farm donations increase as our clientele increased was a lifesaver in a lot of ways,” Pacheco says. “It allowed us to continue our commitment to our clients that they’ll be able to get what they need when they show up at our door.”

The food pantry was able to sustain itself with the volunteers it retained and with new volunteers coming from the Purdue Student Farm. This helped bolster the pantry’s farm-to-table enthusiasm. 

This mutually beneficial relationship between the student farm and food pantry provided the Purdue community with both the knowledge and food needed to be successful. These volunteers actively work with each other and have conversations about how to use produce effectively for the benefit of those coming to the food pantry.

Access to resources is the first step in the food pantry’s goal. “Having access to new food sources is especially beneficial when you’re provided the tools to maximize them for your own benefit and enjoyment,” Pacheco says. “It’s important to us that people are excited to use the items that they take home.” 

Having conversations about the resources the community members are provided is an important part to the ACE Campus Food Pantry’s mission, Pacheco says. She adds that it’s uplifting to know that there are people in the community doing what they can to alleviate the stresses placed upon others. 

The Purdue Student Farm will continue to donate what produce it can to the ACE Campus Food Pantry and other food pantries in the Lafayette area, Hallett says. “I hope it has helped keep a few people more healthily fed,” he concludes. 

Christjansen is a senior in ag communication at Purdue University.