Flying High Program Expands Healthy Food Initiative

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – A new initiative of Flying High Inc. aims to help meet the rising demand for donated food by providing produce grown by its clients.

Flying High, which provides drug and alcohol treatment, reentry and employment training services, recently announced it is expanding its Share Our Surplus initiative, which distributes produce grown at GROW Urban Farm, to various community partners. GROW stands for Gaining Real Opportunities for Work.

The urban farm, located near Flying High’s Professional Development Center on the North Side, is a division of the organization’s Access Healthy Foods Mahoning Valley initiative.

Flying High started the urban farm in 2013 using funds secured from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, according to Jeff Magada, Flying High founder and executive director. He and individuals participating in Flying High’s workforce program helped to build the farm, which is about 1.5 acres. 

Magada said he started the urban farm with two objectives: to provide fresh produce to underserved individuals in the area and to offer a work acclimation site for individuals seeking to reenter the workforce.

“People are growing as they are growing produce for the community,” he said.

Of the 10 to 15 bushels of produce harvested each week during the May-through-September season, 70% is distributed through Action’s Mahoning Valley Mobile Markets or used by Flying High’s residential program, Magada said. Before the creation of the Mobile Markets, the produce was distributed through Grow Youngstown and pop-up markets.  

“We didn’t want that [overage] going to waste,” he said. 

David Hunting, director of operations at Access Healthy Foods Mahoning Valley, reached out to organizations that would be able to use the surplus before it spoils. The farm produces staples such as peppers, tomatoes, onions, collard and other leafy greens, cucumbers, beans, zucchini and carrots.

“Let’s say we harvest 100 peppers and I’m going to sell 50 next week,” he said. Knowing the peppers won’t keep until the following week, he will contact the partner organizations to see if one of them can use the surplus items.

“So far it’s been fantastic,” Hunting said. “They are so appreciative to receive the products that we bring them.

Organizations contacted about or already receiving support through the initiative include Adult & Teen Challenge Ohio Valley, Big Reach Center of Hope Food Distribution Center, Evergreen Seventh Day Adventist Church Food pantry, Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley and the Salvation Army Youngstown Citadel Food Pantry.

“Right now, the need is great,” said Maj. Paul Brown of Salvation Army Mahoning County Area Services in Youngstown.  

Use of the free lunch program is up 46% from 2023, and new people are coming in to take advantage of it every day, Brown said. The program now provides 1,000 to 1,200 lunches per week. Additionally, the food pantry, which distributes food Tuesdays and Fridays, is averaging between 25 and 30 families per day.

“With the prices of food, we are short of food constantly, he said.

“Grocery store inflation has really taken a toll,” said Mike Iberis, Second Harvest’s executive director. Demand is up about 10%, and the food bank distributes about 250,000 pounds of food per week.

Senior citizens make up most of the food bank clientele, though it also includes young families, Iberis said. Many are apologetic and say they have never come to a food pantry before but are on fixed incomes and can no longer purchase what they used to when they go to the grocery store.

Coming at the same time as the program expansion is a physical upgrade at the urban farm campus, with construction of an educational pavilion underway. The pavilion will provide “a place to sit in the shade” for community groups to participate in educational programming related to growing food.

“We like to say every moment here we’re working together to make lives better. That’s the goal,” Hunting said.

Pictured at top: Jeff Magada, founder and executive director of Flying High, at GROW Urban Farm in Youngstown.

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.