By Scott K. James | Commentary, Scott’s Sheet
A Colorado campaign aims to connect local producers with families facing hunger, proving that neighborly common sense can still do useful work.
There is a particular kind of quiet that settles over a kitchen table when the grocery money runs out before the groceries do.
Parents know that quiet.
It is the sound of someone mentally moving numbers around, stretching one dinner into two and wondering whether the kids will notice that the cereal box is mostly optimism and cardboard dust.
A few miles away, a Colorado farmer or rancher may be doing some difficult math of his own. The crop is ready. The cattle have been fed. The work has already been done.
The buyer, however, is never guaranteed.
You would think connecting those two problems would be obvious.
Families need food. Farmers need dependable markets. Colorado produces food.
Apparently, we needed a campaign.
North Forty News reports that Feeding Colorado, Colorado Proud, and the Colorado Department of Agriculture have launched the 150 Colorado Agricultural Legacy Fund. From Colorado Day through Labor Day, the campaign will raise money to purchase Colorado-grown, raised, and made food for distribution through food banks and nearly 800 hunger-relief partners across the state. The money will be used exclusively for Colorado Proud products, creating new opportunities for local producers while putting fresh food in the hands of families who need it. (northfortynews.com)
That is not revolutionary public policy.
That is common sense with dirt under its fingernails.
It recognizes that families facing hunger are not political props. They are our neighbors. They are working parents, seniors, veterans, and people who hit a rough patch while the price of nearly everything decided to climb a ladder.
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Scott K. James is a second-term Weld County Commissioner and former Mayor of Johnstown, Colorado. A fourth-generation Colorado native and 40-year radio veteran, he’s been recognized by both the Colorado Broadcasters’ Association and Colorado Counties, Inc. for his public service and communication leadership. James is a strong advocate for individual liberty, limited government, and rural communities. He lives in Johnstown with his wife, Julie, and their son, Jack.
Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in commentary pieces are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the management of the Rocky Mountain Voice, but even so we support the constitutional right of the author to express those opinions.