Concrete JungleProduce Education & Enjoyment Loop (PEEL)
PEEL is a knowledge-sharing opportunity for clients to become familiar with more varieties of produce through recipe demonstrations, taste tests, and cooking classes.
Clients of Concrete Jungle
From concrete-jungle.org/programs/produce-education-enjoyment-loop-peel ↗About this program
The Produce Education and Enjoyment Loop (PEEL) program offers cooking classes, taste tests, and food preparation events to offer different ways to use the produce we’re sharing and make it accessible. Research (and our experience) shows that if people know exactly what to do with produce and have a positive experience with it, they are more likely to take it home and use it.
Some of the varieties of produce we donate are less commonly known, such as persimmons and kohlrabi. Others are just apples or squash that look a little funky.
When a crop is in season, our clients may see the same produce for several weeks at a time. The PEEL program brings recipe cards, nutritional information, and educational programming to clients to encourage new ways of preparing produce. 90% of clients tried a new type of produce or a new way of preparing it through PEEL.
We work with community members to ensure that PEEL recipes are appropriate for the community we serve, can be made with limited ingredients and cooking tools, and have substitutions for dietary restrictions. 89% of clients say they would make PEEL recipes at home.
Details
- Who
- Clients of Concrete Jungle
Run by
Fruit & Farm PicksFrom apples to zucchini, our volunteers glean fruits and vegetables from backyard, local parks, and large farms to distribute to our neighbors in need.
Doghead FarmCJ’s half-acre urban farm in southwest Atlanta, Doghead Farm, grows over 4,000 lbs of vegetables. The farm also provides space for the CJ community to gather.
Produce Buyers ClubCJ’s Produce Buyers Club (PBC) purchases imperfect produce from Georgia farmers and wholesalers for distribution at-cost to hunger relief agencies on a weekly basis.