Concrete Jungle Athens Partners with Local Gourmet & Fly Fishing Pro for Root Vegetable Pick

Since the founding of the Athens branch in 2019, Concrete Jungle Athens is a nonprofit

organization that tackles food security and food waste within the Athens-Clarke County area. It

works through organizing volunteers to help glean unwanted produce from farms and partnering with

local grocery stores and organizations to pick up produce that isn’t likely to be sold. It is on track to

exceed last year’s donations by 20% through new partnerships like the recent connection with Abby

Jackson of Blackhawkflyfishing and Abby J's Gourmet. Abby Jackson is a “Georgia Grown” entrepreneur

and “Flavor of Georgia” award winner who is hosting Concrete Jungle Athens for a root vegetable pick

on November 14th.. All the produce gathered will be donated to the Foodbank of Northeast of Georgia.

These partnerships and progress are vital considering federal legislative reductions to programs like the

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for

Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Reductions in these programs disproportionately affect ACC as

roughly a quarter of its population is under the poverty line living within food deserts. And while ACC

has a variety of other organizations focused on food security, Concrete Jungle also focuses on getting

residents fresh and healthy produce, minimizing food waste, and developing community around local

food.

As a global community we produce enough food to feed everyone on the planet, however many still go

hungry and food waste is a top contributor to climate change. By introducing circularity to the ACC food

system, Concrete Jungle has not only redistributed 23,414 pounds of produce that would have gone to

waste, but has prevented 5.88 million metric tons of greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere this

year alone.

The nonprofit also works to preserve the dignity of clients who receive donations and build up ACC food

systems. Through Produce Education & Enjoyment Loop (PEEL) workshops and resources, clients are

shown how to use different forms of produce gleaned to ensure it’s not going to waste after distribution.

We also give back to local farmers and producers who allow us to glean from their land by providing

farmer support workdays.

To learn more about Concrete Jungle Athens upcoming events like the root vegetable pick and its other

efforts to reduce food insecurity and waste visit concrete-jungle.org/athens-branch/ or @concretejungleath

on Instagram.

About Concrete Jungle Athens: Established in 2019 as the first branch outside of the flagship

headquarters in Atlanta, Concrete Jungle Athens is a nonprofit organization dedicated to foraging,

farming, and supporting food access across Georgia. In total roughly 186,767 pounds of produce has been

rescued and redistributed to partner hunger relief agencies, creating 498,045 healthy servings for ACC.

Visit concrete-jungle.org/athens-branch/ to learn more about how to support the mission