While scouting food-related events in Houston County, I came across a flyer for Semcac’s Truck to Trunk event on July 17, 2020. I called to see if I could stop by and interview the team. Little did I know I’d end up choosing to spend my whole morning there, deep in boxes. Houston County residents: Truck to Trunk is happening again on Friday, October 23!
This piece is part of a larger project to document the culinary resilience of southeastern Minnesota’s Houston County during the pandemic. You can read more about my Crystal Creek Citizen-Artist Residency project here.
I arrive at the Houston County Food Shelf at 9:30am to meet Michelle, the Semcac Outreach Services Coordinator, and Kris, the food shelf manager. “We don’t know what to expect!” they tell me anxiously. It’s the first time they’re doing something like this and have no idea what the Truck to Trunk event turnout will be.
Typically, food shelf clients must meet certain income guidelines, but with Truck to Trunk, anyone can pull up and receive food, regardless of income — no questions asked. Michelle tells me they ordered enough to provide 225 households with a protein box, a produce box, and milk, but she has no idea if it’s way too much or not enough.
Semcac offers transportation, housing, and healthcare assistance to southeastern Minnesota and operates the Houston County Food Shelf in downtown Caledonia. Since the pandemic, they’ve been looking for additional ways to provide food to Houston County residents. When approached about doing a Truck to Trunk event with Channel One Regional Food Bank, they agreed without hesitation. Many food shelves don’t have the space to receive and store large quantities of food. With Truck to Trunk, food gets unloaded and placed directly into waiting vehicles in a no-contact, anonymous way.
It’s a warm morning, and I’m already sweating through my shirt. As the sun beats down on the Semcac parking lot, cars start lining up, and the team gets ready to meet the truck. Energy is high. The driver begins unloading pallet after pallet of protein boxes, produce boxes, and milk crates and the volunteers spring to action placing boxes of food and jugs of milk in each waiting car.
Everyone seems to be blown away by the response. Though the cars move through at a fairly rapid pace, at one point I count 44 cars lined up around the block. The police step in to manage traffic on Main Street, freeing up parking spaces in front of the Caledonia Bakery and The Wired Rooster and diverting the line of cars around the corner. I grab a box and start helping the volunteers. As we put boxes of produce and jugs of milk into cars, recipients respond with cheerful thank yous.
The volunteer team includes Caledonia residents and a few high school football players. I learn that Semcac calls up the local football coach whenever they need extra help. “They always send such nice boys,” Michelle tells me. The football players lift and distribute boxes with ease. I can’t tell if they’re happy to be spared from running sprints in exchange for small talk on a hot day, but they’re helpful and friendly nonetheless.
When opening their boxes, recipients will find potatoes, onions, cucumbers, carrots, apples, and oranges in the produce box and bacon, chicken patties, and chicken hot dogs in the protein box.
In addition to year-round services, the Houston County Food Shelf maintains an impressive garden. They grow beets, arugula, lettuce, kale, tomatoes, green beans, and other vegetables to supply client needs. “We have green beans coming out of our ears!” Michelle laughs. It is July, after all. In addition to what’s grown in the garden, Semcac also accepts local produce donations. They have a good supply of fresh food ready and waiting for clients.
Michelle wishes more people would utilize the food shelf. She thinks some residents of Houston County may be too intimidated. “Why struggle when there is help? It’s hard for families when you become unemployed,” she says. “This is why we’re here!” she adds with enthusiasm.
When COVID-19 hit, the food shelf had to alter their distribution system. They created a phone ordering system since clients are no longer allowed inside to select food. A client can now call and request certain foods and the team will gather the order and place it outside for pickup. They continue to adapt as needed to provide access to fresh vegetables and staple ingredients for their community.
An increasing number of people are facing food insecurity because of the pandemic. Studies show 1 in 8 Minnesotans currently face hunger compared to 1 in 11 Minnesotans last year. Semcac invites anyone experiencing challenges to call the food shelf. They want to help keep food on the tables of Houston County.
Because, in the words of Michelle, “This is why we’re here!”
The volunteer team distributed every single protein and produce box to 225 households at Truck to Trunk in July. Based on the positive response, another Truck to Trunk is scheduled for Friday, October 23 in Caledonia.
WHAT: Truck to Trunk
WHERE: Houston Co. Fairgrounds, 207 S Hickory Lane, Caledonia
WHEN: October 23
TIME: 9am – 10:30am
Elisabeth A. Fondell is a writer, potter, and food enthusiast living in the rural Midwest. She is currently working on Food Stories From Houston County, a project documenting stories of culinary resilience in Minnesota’s southeastern-most county through the Crystal Creek Citizen-Artist Residency.
Elisabeth began focusing on place-based food writing after receiving a grant from the Southwest Minnesota Arts Council to create a body of work celebrating the intersection of food and culture. See that exhibit here.
