In America, 72 billion pounds of delicious and nutritious food such as too-long green beans, pineapples with crooked tops, and more are sent to landfills and incinerators. Meanwhile, millions of Americans face hunger, including 650,000 residents in southeast Michigan.
In partnership with the Food Bank Council of Michigan, Gleaners rescued 25,000 pounds of carrot puree and transformed it into Beaufait’s Garden Vegetable Sauce, named after the street where Gleaners’ Detroit Distribution Center is located. The sauce launched in mid-July after a kickoff party in June (pictured above) at Rising Stars Academy, one of the facilities where the sauce is being packed, and it is available for Gleaners’ partner agencies. Beaufait’s Garden Vegetable Sauce is delicious on rice or pasta or baked with chicken, fish, or pork.
The effort is the result of various people coming together to contribute, from the chefs at Gleaners to the leaders at Rising Stars who welcomed Gleaners to the school for production as well as Russell Street who provided product development guidance and volunteers with marketing and packaging design expertise.
Truly a group effort, this sauce “brings the best out of the community,” says Rachelle Bonelli, vice president of programs, adding the collective effort among partners and volunteers helps provide more healthy food to the community.
It’s the “secret sauce to great success,” she says.
Volunteers are always welcome to help us pack the vegetable sauce! Sign up here.
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