EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14\/CBS4) \u2014 If you’ve ever wished grocery shopping could feel a little more like supporting your neighbors (and a little less like another errand), Desert Spoon Food Hub in El Paso is built for that.<\/p>\n
Desert Spoon Food Hub was started 10 years ago by Patsy Stallworth and her daughters. <\/p>\n
Stallworth said the mission was to source local organic produce from small farms in the area.<\/p>\n
What began with a $30 produce box is still going strong, but the options have grown. <\/p>\n
In addition to the box, the county funded a grocery store, Spoon Flower Grocery, where shoppers can buy produce in person.<\/p>\n
Customers can also order online and add extra items beyond vegetables. <\/p>\n
Stallworth said shoppers can add things like \u201cfideo and some nuts,\u201d or sourdough, focaccia bread, buns and tea pills made by Chef Mateo Herrera, a semi-finalist for the James Beard Award, who makes them fresh every week. <\/p>\n
Orders can be delivered to your home for $6.<\/p>\n
Desert Spoon has also launched a kids-focused effort to make healthy eating more fun. <\/p>\n
Stallworth said the organization started a program called “Taster Space” about three years ago to help children build a relationship with healthier eating. <\/p>\n
El Paso’s Desert Spoon Food Hub marks 10 years, founded by mom and daughters<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The box includes crafts and recipes tied to seasonal items. <\/p>\n
Working with the library, the program will include each seasonal fruit or vegetable in a clear envelope along with a craft and recipe. <\/p>\n
Stallworth said families will be able to check it out like a book and keep the pamphlet.<\/p>\n
Stallworth said the program will be available through participating libraries, with details posted online. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019ll kick off in March,\u201d Stallworth said, adding that it will be free.<\/p>\n
To help make organic food more affordable, Desert Spoon collaborated with the Sustainable Food Center in Austin and runs Double Up Food Bucks. <\/p>\n
Stallworth said Desert Spoon is “the only story in El Paso that has double-up food bugs,” adding that Bodega Loya in San Elizario and Chico Farm in Socorro also has it. <\/p>\n
Desert Spoon accepts SNAP, and Stallworth said anyone who pays with food stamps while the store is open gets 50% off all fruits and vegetables.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe do all need to be able to eat healthy. Everyone,\u201d Stallworth said, calling it part of food equity in El Paso.<\/p>\n
Spoon Flower Grocery is located at 1714 Yandell Dr. in Central El Paso. <\/p>\n
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