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Celeste Mader is currently serving at GoodRoots Market in Buckley. Her start in farming was a bit unconventional- being that the farm was on the breathtaking Puget Sound. As a shellfish farmer, she spent almost a year of her life harvesting some of the objectively oddest-looking little critters known to man (those being gooey ducks). Thus her passion and love for unconventional methods of food and farming sustainability was born. Now she’s bringing this passion to Good Roots market in Buckley, a food bank doing things in a completely new and unique way. When you’re passing by GoodRoots Market on Washington 410, you might not expect that this posh white farmhouse is a hub of nutrition and food security for 250,000 individuals annually *.

 “We want each person’s experience to be that of dignity. Kids will walk out of here not knowing they were just in a food bank-” -Stacey Crnich, CEO GoodRoots Northwest. 

But these big shifts into dignity and food safety don’t stop at the market. Market customers are now able to shop and order groceries online! In the traditional food bank experience, one of the most limiting factors of accessibility is the hours of operation. With Pickups being open until midnight, these lockers are the big picture goal to filling in the gaps in our current food assistance system. With numerous location expansions close on the horizon, many food deserts in Pierce County could be seeing a relief akin to rainfall after a long drought.  Lockers are currently conveniently located outside of the Bonney Lake Library, as well as the Market.

GoodRoots Northwest’s mission is to connect our community to the essential and readily available resource of nutritious food. Celeste’s role throughout her service will be outreaching locally, to hear the hidden stories of the Pierce County community. She hopes to connect the need to nutrition. Join her next week, as she jumps into events at the local libraries and court systems to build awareness of the Market locker program!

*Source: Goodroots.org, “Who We Are”