“To me it’s a win-win. A, you get to eat healthier, and we all know the mental and physical benefits of a healthier lifestyle. B, it’s important to support our local farms and Arizona’s economy. In my opinion food tastes a lot better and lasts a lot longer when it’s from a local farm. Once you understand that, a lot of the food we are used to eating has had to come from out of state and be sprayed with pesticides and wax to keep it looking fresh. Plus it’s been sitting at a grocery store for weeks, and it still hasn’t started to decompose, then you really start to put those pieces of the puzzle together and say, ‘Hmm… fresh produce will go bad quickly. It’s supposed to be consumed in a certain window of time, unless it has been treated.’ I truly understand that now.”

He also touched on the particular impact that the Farmraiser program can have for those most economically vulnerable.

“The program offers exposure. Typically and unfortunately, people from a lower socioeconomic class have to buy less healthy foods due to their budget and the financial constraint that their finances put on them. Being able to provide healthy produce for them and allowing them to make nutritious meals for themselves and for their family, they are able to feel the benefits in many areas of their life. I feel like it’s a win for all parties because knowledge is power. Once you inform people and give people the information about what they’re eating and how it affects them, typically people will make better decisions if they’re in a space to do so.”

“It’s such a great program. It’s the knowledge piece and really hammering down and exposing to people in a nonjudgmental way that organic and non-organic produce matters, preparing a meal as opposed to getting fast food does matter. How can we free up people’s time so they are able to make food at home instead of just grabbing something on the way? – Just presenting those topics and having those conversations can lead to more people going down the path that the Co-op is paving.”

We here at Sun Produce would like to extend our deepest thanks to Herbert Smith for taking the time to speak with us, and for the vast impact he has made on those in his community and beyond.