El Paso food hub receives grant to support local farmers, expand access to fresh produce

EL PASO, Texas -- Desert Spoon Food Hub is hoping to increase food security all while helping local farmers. Thanks to a nearly half a million dollar grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the hub will be able to do just that.

"We act as kind of a multi stakeholder organization," said Adriana Clowe, director of operations for Desert Spoon Food Hub. "We serve our local farmers, but on the other end, we also serve the consumers and trying to figure out the best needs or the needs in the area and how to close those gaps between the two."

The grant funding will help the food hub market the products provided by local farmers.

The food hub, created in 2015, has several programs already under way. It's most popular is its Community Farm Box.

Every week, you can box full of about eight to ten different products for $30 depending on what farmers are able to grow for the week.

There's also the Taster Space box, created to educate kids and encourage them to eat fresh produce. The box also includes an activity for them to do using some of the produce given to them.

The food hub also is getting ready to break ground on its non-profit grocery in central El Paso on Thursday.

"We're trying to figure out how do we make these items and these foods more accessible to more people and more convenient model," Clowe said.

To learn more about the hub, click here.