The Good Food Collective freely distributed about 4,500 pounds of apples at the Durango Farmers Market on Saturday for the 16th Annual Apple Days Festival.
That equates to tens of thousands of apples. Rachel Landis, executive director of the La Plata Food Equity Coalition, said Apple Days is a very tangible way to connect people to food systems.
Freshly pressed apple cider and a pie-eating contest were featured to draw attention to The Good Food Collective’s efforts.
The apples given away Saturday were collected over the last two weeks or so. Landis said. The Good Collective collected apples from more than 25 locations, and the Apple Days Festival aside, the organization has been active from the start of the harvest season.
She said the nonprofit collects apples from people who have extra fruits and vegetables growing in their backyards in addition to traditional and historic orchards, some of which grow apples unavailable anywhere else.
She said The Good Food Collective tends to give away about 40,000 pounds of food annually.
“Everyone is connected to a food system. Food systems are how we build community. We create meaningful jobs. We can support our health and well-being,” she said. “Everyone can be advocates, and everyone understands now what it takes to press cider. … There are laborers behind it, somebody is up there picking trees.”
She said The Good Collective is working on policies, infrastructure and market development to get the community involved and ensure food access isn’t left to individual organizations over a collective effort.
Anyone who wants to help out is welcome to apply to harvest a specific tree on a register The Good Food Collective maintains, she said.
“There are literally hundreds of trees on there right now that still want harvesting,” she said. “So any community harvesters out there … At this point, we need community members.”
She said The Good Food Collective even offers equipment to aid in picking trees, and staff members can teach volunteers how it’s done.
Denise Telck with The Good Food Collective said from gleaning to the number of sponsors and people helping set up and host the festival on Saturday, the organization had more participation than last year.
“It’s grown to the point where I think we’ve all grown out from all our space at the Farmers Market. … We’re hoping to look for a bigger and better event next year,” she said.
2024 is the first year The Good Collective has hosted a three-day event as opposed to a single-day festival, typically on Saturdays in October.
The festival kicked off at Esotera Ciderworks on Friday, and will conclude with a Harvest Dinner on Sunday evening, which has sold out.
cburney@durangoherald.com
