Did you know that 1 in 4 people in Austin are or have been food insecure, or lacking dependable access to sufficient amounts of economical and nutritious food? That's 25% of our Austin community! Can you believe it? Depending on the area, up to even 40% of people do not have easy access to fresh and affordable food, and in neighborhoods where busy thoroughfares inundate the cityscape and sidewalks are lacking, folks who do not have vehicular access risk their lives daily to purchase groceries to feed their family. Despite sounding abysmal, there's a lot that we can all do to help, and if you are a part of the CSA community, have you thought about sharing the harvest this holiday season?

SafePlace. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

If your family is headed out of town for the holidays, or if you're trying to avoid an overflowing fridge, we hope you will consider donating your CSA share to The Settlement Home or SafePlace. With the produce received from JBG, the Settlement Home provides nutritious meals and teaches the girls it serves how to cook. Thanks to the weekly deliveries from JBG, SafePlace is able to stock it's pantry with fresh organic vegetables (instead of canned goods) for the women and children living in their shelter. Your donated share helps feed children, young adults, and families in Texas with histories of trauma, abuse and neglect. Donating your share is easy and helps secure nutrition for these folks in need. Just email us (farm@jbgorganic.com) with the dates you would like to donate your share(s), and we'll do the rest! Need your vegetables for your holiday meal but still want to help those in need? Sponsoring a share is easy, too. Find more information about that program here.

Photo courtesy of Music, Tech & Food

Speaking of local warriors toiling against food insecurity... Ever heard of Music, Tech, and Food? This new nonprofit in town seeks to bring two thriving Austin communities together, Music and Tech, to promote hunger awareness, and via ticket sales to regularly scheduled music events, donate farm-fresh food to local shelters and pantries. Pretty cool, eh? Read more about it here and get involved!

Lola. Photo by Scott David Gordon.

Ever spotted the "Cool Bus" rolling through town? Did you know that JBG donates food to help Lola Stephens-Bell, also known as the Nubian Queen, feed over 1000 free meals to the hungry each week? In a town like Austin where new restaurant pops up every week, her kitchen, Nubian Queen Lola's Cajun Soul Food, stands apart from the rest. Not only does she cook up some mighty delicious soul food, but she's serving it up with a side of food justice. Read more about this amazing lady here.

Want to learn more about food insecurity in Austin? We recommend listening to KUT's TSI's Feeding Austin's Hungry (listed as no. 5). 

**major contributions by Nellie Stephenson