Setting Mary's Table

Diverting Food Waste

Over 40% of the United States food supply goes to waste, according to the USDA. Part of this waste comes down to produce aesthetics: people just won’t buy fresh produce if it’s not sleek and flawless.

But anyone who gardens know that wonky fruits and vegetables taste just as good as their more elegant counterparts and anyone who’s been to Mary’s Table knows that they are always on the look-out for fresh produce—no matter the imperfections. Mary's Table at the Mary Isaak Center in Sonoma County, California is dedicated to bringing its community healthy, fresh food on the daily. Serving 7,000 meals a month, they prioritize the inclusion of healthy, fresh fruits and vegetables which are donated by local farms and restaurants.

Recently Preserve Sonoma Farm Kitchens, The Center for Spiritual Living, and Jacobs Farm del Cabo were able to help with that pledge.

Setting Mary's Table

Merilee Olson owns and operates Petaluma’s Preserve Sonoma Farm Kitchens and she’s dedicated her life to using the whole harvest, which might otherwise go unsold or left in the field. Merilee secured a donation of 780 pounds of fresh organic Dry Farmed Early Girl Tomatoes from Jacob’s Farm. She then enlisted the help of her fellow congregants at the Center for Spiritual Living in Santa Rosa to turn those tomatoes into 600 jars of organic marinara sauce for Mary’s Table.

Volunteers were eager to help; they donned hairnets and close-toed shoes and persevered through heat, noise and technical difficulties to create beautiful jars of organic tomato sauce that will be served at Mary’s Table and given away to residents in their housing placement programs.

Jacobs Farm del Cabo is one of California’s first certified-organic farms and boasts a commitment to social betterment. We recognize the unsustainability of large scale food waste and are proud to donate fresh organic produce to community organizations like Mary’s Table.