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This blog post was originally written by Kelly McClurg as part of Sunshine Place's newsletter. Learn more here.
On a clear, summer morning outside the Sun Prairie Food Pantry, the humidity hangs heavy. The outer walls soak in the sun, and a line of clients lean against the warm bricks waiting for the pantry to open, sometimes up to an hour or more ahead of time.
Whatever the season, clients show up, and the need for the Sun Prairie Food Pantry continues to rise. Pantry visits are projected to increase by over 175% this year. With demand this high, environmental sustainability is a must, not just for our planet, but because it supports the long-term stability of the pantry. The Sun Prairie Food Pantry, led by Food Security Manager, Catie Badsing, has been intentional about building sustainability measures into its operations.
Sustainability in the food pantry takes a multi-pronged approach that continues to evolve. There are 3 major ways sustainability is currently addressed: food recovery, distribution/disposal, and local connections/fresh produce.
Food Recovery
Pantry items come to the pantry one of four ways: 1) Donated from the community, 2) Distributed to us through Second Harvest Food Bank, 3) Purchased from wholesalers using pantry funds, and 4) Recovery.
Recovery is when food that is still good to eat goes to the people who need it, instead of ending up in a landfill. This year, recovery is on track to make up 27% of our food intake. Recovered food for the pantry comes from partnerships with local retailers, grocery stores, and restaurants, who have a set schedule for recovery pick-up. Currently, Sunshine Place has 13 partner locations for our recovery process, and getting items from there to here is made possible by our amazing volunteers. Sunshine Place volunteers use their own cars or pantry transportation to bring items from businesses to the pantry. Additional volunteers sort through foods and ensure that everything put out on the floor or lobby meets a standard of quality that upholds the dignity of the shopper.
Distribution & Disposal
The pantry further addresses sustainability through the distribution and disposal process of our pantry products. Just over 98% of Sun Prairie pantry products went directly to pantry shoppers who rely on that support to survive and thrive. With national food waste estimated at between 30-40 percent of the food supply, that’s a big deal. In 2024, only .5% of the food we took in ended up in a landfill. The remaining 1.4% that is pulled from distribution is composted through a local Sun Prairie company, Green Box Compost, who then sells the compost for people to use in their gardens. Composting, a process of adding broken down food waste to enrich soil for gardens and farms, not only reduces greenhouse gas emissions, it adds crucial nutrients to the soil that improves plant growth and attracts pollinators, while retaining soil moisture and preventing soil erosion. The resulting product helps to support agricultural systems that feed people. Last year the Sun Prairie Food Pantry composted 24 thousand pounds of food, all while supporting the local economy.
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Community partnerships are the foundation on which every Sunshine Place program is built, and the food pantry is no exception. This foundation is part of what led to Good Neighbor Markets, another sustainability effort started this year. From June through early November, Second Harvest Food Bank purchases fresh produce weekly at the Wednesday Dane County Farmer’s Market. They rotate the distribution of this produce between six local pantries, meaning our pantry receives produce every 6 weeks.
The Sun Prairie Food Pantry participated in this program last year and distributed produce alongside typical pantry items, but found that a focus on produce led to less waste. This prompted the creation of the Good Neighbor Markets. These markets are advertised and set up in the Sunshine Place parking lot just like any other farmer’s market, with fresh, seasonal produce such as radishes, asparagus, greens, and even flowers, arranged on long tables. A visit to the Good Neighbor Market does not count towards a pantry client’s regular pantry visits. Community members can come and take whatever they need, and food pantry volunteers are available to bag or assist. The Sun Prairie Food Pantry received 2,000 pounds of produce from the first delivery this summer, and 98% of that was distributed through the Good Neighbor Market and pantry. These markets provide access to healthy foods that people may not otherwise have, support local growers, and give the pantry the opportunity to strengthen relationships within the community we serve. Stay tuned to our social media and the food pantry website for upcoming market dates.
As need for the Sun Prairie Food Pantry continues to grow, it is our goal to see sustainability efforts grow as well. We are proud of all we have accomplished so far, but we can’t continue this important work without your support! Learn more about how you can help the Sun Prairie Food Pantry, or donate below, to support our efforts.
