LEXINGTON, Ky. — After thousands lost power in Kentucky during last weekend’s storm, organizations like Black Soil KY are helping how they know best — by providing fresh produce.
In less than two days, fresh fruit and vegetables were packed into bags and handed over to families. All those donations went to families in the Lexington area to restock and replenish their fridges after many were left without power.
“Lexington and the surrounding areas lost their power for long enough that they lost everything in your fridge, everything in their freezer, everything in their deep freeze. We had several people come up to us and say that they lost everything, like $500 plus worth of food,” said Amber Fuller, Black Soil KY director of marketing and special projects.
It’s why they handed out nearly 250 bags of fresh squash, onions, apples and more, each grown by Black and indigenous farmers at their new office and distribution space. Nearly 400 other bags were sent to the Georgetown Street Neighborhood Association and folks in eastern Kentucky.
“This distribution, in particular, was also social media. We didn’t even pick it out to our community partners, we just let the power of the internet do its thing and it did its thing.”
Fuller says they understand groceries are a challenge for many families. She says losing even a little is a significant loss for households.
“So to be in this community, welcome to this community has been exciting and I think it’s a perfect thing. The people that we’re going to be able to help, it’s all walks of life.”
Outside of this event, Black Soil KY will continue to utilize its newest space at 820 Lane Allen Road for weekly distributions. The new location will also house a future fresh produce market, an area for staff and volunteers, and a loading dock for farmers.