New Partnership Will Create Local Food Bank in Cortez

The Southwest Farm Fresh Co-op and the Good Samaritan Center got a green light Tuesday night from the Cortez City Council to operate a center that will store, sell, and distribute locally produced foods. The enterprise will be housed in an existing building at 20 North Beech Street in Cortez. The president of the co-op’s board, Laurie Hall, told the council that Southwest Farm Fresh has been operating without a physical location for four years and has “reached a ceiling” in its ability to market locally-grown products. Likewise, she said the Good Samaritan Center, which provided food to more than 7,000 people in need last year, has outgrown its current location downtown. The council unanimously approved a conditional use permit for the new operation.