Cultivate Expands to Elkhart: New Chapter in Fighting Food Insecurity and Waste

Photo byMike Murrell

In a significant move to bolster its fight against food insecurity and environmental waste, Cultivate, a South Bend-based nonprofit known for its food rescue operations, is expanding its footprint into Elkhart County. This expansion, set to begin in October, promises to bring fresh opportunities for community engagement while directly impacting the lives of students and the environment.

Jim Conklin, executive director and co-founder of Cultivate, emphasized that the expansion is designed to be more than just a logistical shift. "We expanded into Elkhart because it’s more convenient for volunteers in Elkhart County," Conklin explained. "Driving to South Bend can be a haul if you’re coming from Goshen or the east side of Elkhart."

By establishing a new base at the former Bullard Farm Market in Elkhart, which closed its doors in 2022, Cultivate aims to harness the power of local volunteers more effectively. The facility will have the capacity to accommodate up to 200 volunteers weekly, enabling the organization to expand its backpack meal distribution program for food-insecure students in the region. This program has been a cornerstone of Cultivate's mission, ensuring that students have access to nutritious meals outside of school hours.

"Last year, we served 1,350 students," Conklin noted. "We hope to double that by expanding into Elkhart." This goal highlights the pressing need for support in a community where many families struggle to provide consistent, healthy meals for their children. The expansion not only increases accessibility for volunteers but also amplifies the reach and impact of Cultivate's vital services.

Beyond tackling food insecurity, Cultivate’s efforts are also a step forward in addressing one of the most critical environmental issues of our time: food waste. The organization is on track to rescue more than 4 million pounds of food in 2024 alone. "From an environmental standpoint, about 120 billion pounds of food gets wasted in the U.S. each year," Conklin pointed out. "If food waste in the U.S. were a country, it would be the third-largest producer of carbon dioxide in the world."

The environmental ramifications of food waste extend far beyond the immediate loss of food resources; they contribute to climate change through the emission of greenhouse gases like methane and carbon dioxide. Cultivate's expansion into Elkhart, therefore, represents a dual-front campaign—providing for the community's most vulnerable while taking tangible steps to mitigate environmental degradation.

As Cultivate prepares to launch its expanded operations in Elkhart, the message is clear: community collaboration and proactive solutions can address some of our most pressing social and environmental challenges. By doubling down on local engagement and expanding its rescue efforts, Cultivate is setting the stage for a more sustainable and equitable future for Elkhart County.