Warminster Food Bank, a nonprofit organization that provides food to people in need in Bucks and Eastern Montgomery Counties, is pleased to announce a partnership with Hidden Valley Farm, of Jamison. The food bank will supply the farm with produce that is not suitable for retail or daily use. The farm will use this food waste to feed the chickens and pigs on the farm. In turn, the farm will provide the food bank with 30 to 70 dozen eggs each week. These eggs will be provided to food bank guests in their monthly grocery baskets.
Hidden Valley Farm was founded in 2015 by Eric Kretschman, formerly the Montgomery County controller. Kretschman raises 1,500 chickens on his farm and plans to increase the number of chickens to 5,000. The chickens have access to open fields and this helps to improve the quality of the eggs. The contribution of food waste will serve as a steady resource to feed the livestock on the farm. This arrangement helps local agriculture, ensuring that food waste is kept out of landfills, and is put to good use.
“I recognized that a portion of donated food was going to end up as waste because of the nature of food spoilage. But chickens and pigs love this food. It’s still nutritious to them,” said Eric Kretschman, owner of Hidden Valley Farm. “I figured we could feed it to them and basically recycle out-of-date produce into new eggs, which we could donate back to the food bank. It’s not a new concept, but it’s always a good one.”
“We are grateful for this partnership with Hidden Valley Farm,” said Warminster Food Bank Executive Director, Michael Cerino. “This initiative is an excellent example of conservation and sustainability, demonstrating the commitment of both of our organizations to community service and responsible resource management.”
