In the first of this two-part series, we are highlighting Growing for Good and the relationships it fosters between farms and food banks. Since 2020, the Growing for Good program, a partnership between PCC Community Markets, Harvest Against Hunger, and Seattle Neighborhood Farmers Markets, has provided fresh produce to hunger relief agencies and additional income for local farmers. We sat down with two of these pairings to learn more about how Growing for Good has impacted their work. Note: This episode was recorded in October 2023 and some information may be out of date. Please visit Growing for Good online to learn more about their farm and hunger relief partners, current programming, and new fundraising campaign.

In this episode, we first hear from Regino Flores and his son Isai Flores of Regino Farms. Regino Farms is a certified organic vegetable and berry farm located in Burlington, Washington, owned and operated by Regino Flores and his wife Martina Gutierrez. After decades of working in the farming industry, they began their own venture through Viva farms’ incubator program in 2009. Since then, three of their children have joined the expanding operation which now comprises 11 acres in the Skagit Valley. Regino’s sells at multiple farmers markets and supplies several food retailers, recently expanding to include the Ballard Food Bank through the Growing for Good program. Later in the episode we’ll hear from the Director of Programs at the Ballard Food Bank, Kathleen Murphy, who will tell us about the other side of Growing for Good, and how the partnership has benefitted participating hunger relief organizations like hers.