Featured Image: Durst Organic Growers has partnered with Yolo Food Bank as a food donor for years, inviting volunteers to come and harvest fresh produce, like tomatoes, to use at distributions.
Jim and Deborah Durst believe that farming isn’t just about growing great produce, it’s about nourishing the community around them. Since planting their first organic tomatoes in 1988, Durst Organic Growers has remained dedicated to sustainable farming and providing fresh, healthy food to locals in Yolo County. But Jim and Deborah go beyond donating their own food and time, they are committed to fostering a legacy of service in Yolo County.
Beyond the fields, their impact runs deep in the community. By prioritizing ecological farming methods and resource conservation, they support not only the land but the people who rely on it. Their produce feeds families, their practices inspire fellow farmers, and their commitment to sustainability helps ensure a healthier future for all.
As a former board member at Yolo Food Bank, Jim remains committed to addressing food insecurity. “I have seen the frailty of our food system firsthand,” reflects Jim. “It brings us great joy to see produce from our farm in grocery stores, hospitals, and schools. But it brings us the greatest joy to see it go to community members at food distribution sites.”
When you hear Jim talk about farming, it is evident that he sees it as more than just planting seeds and harvesting crops. “At the heart of sustainability is our relationship and connection with the natural world, including our neighbors,” Jim says. “Yolo Food Bank is the vehicle that takes fruits and vegetables from our farms and ensures all have a chance to eat at that table of health and nutrition.”
Working Together for the Community
Inspired by our community’s giving nature, Yolo Food Bank believes in the power of collaboration to nourish our community. Thus, when Miles Mariani, a student at Winters High School, approached Yolo Food Bank with a senior capstone project idea, Corkey Mapalo, the Director of Operations at Yolo Food Bank began mentoring him. Corkey suggested that Miles connect with Durst Organic Growers right away to help collaborate on the capstone project when she saw how aligned the project’s goals were with Jim’s.
Miles wrote the formal contract agreement with Durst Organic Growers detailing that they would plant produce specifically for Yolo Food Bank and deliver 400 pounds of produce, totaling $43,500 in donated food. This year, Durst Organic Farms is planting crops of broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower, all marked to go to Yolo Food Bank when it is time to harvest. Miles hopes to continue to work with local farms in order to “provide more people in Yolo County with fresh vegetables and make sure no one goes hungry and everyone gets the help they need.”
Miles has been volunteering with Yolo Food Bank at Public Community Food Distributions for a few years, but like Jim Durst, he wanted to make a bigger impact beyond his town of Winters, where he resides. “I thought that this capstone project would have a positive impact on our entire community of Yolo County” Miles expressed.
Creating a Community of Service
This cross-generational project is the kind of sustainability that Durst Organic Growers has embraced for decades. Jim believes that showing the next generation how to impact their community is so important. “Most farmers are actually quite generous and realize that the gifts of the land are meant to be shared. Partnering with the Yolo Food Bank allows for this sharing to occur on a really local level,” says Jim. And that message hasn’t been lost on Miles while he has worked on this project. “The statistics of food insecure people in Yolo County is shocking,” Miles points out. “Given how much food Yolo County produces, why is there still such a high percentage of food-insecure residents?”
Though Miles has been volunteering at Yolo Food Bank for a while, this experience has inspired him to continue to give his time to his neighbors in need. And that’s exactly what Jim Durst hopes to hear: “When working with Yolo Food Bank, we become part of a community of people with ethics, character, and a true love in their hearts.” For Jim and Deborah introducing a new generation to that community is a lasting legacy of care for Yolo County.
Miles Mariani (far left) and his family have volunteered with Yolo Food Bank for years, including the Holiday Food Distribution last November.
