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About 16% of Klamath County residents face food insecurity and nearly one in four children go hungry. Sky Lakes and its partners have raised more than $100,000 for food systems work, expanded healthy food access to nine communities, and launched Klamath Grown, a year-round online farmers market that connects local producers directly with residents.
Rose Clarke knows the challenge firsthand. As executive director of Klamath Grown, a nonprofit that grew out of the Healthy Klamath network, she sees every day how hard it can be to get fresh, healthy food to people who need it most. Parts of Klamath County are true food deserts, where the nearest fresh produce is expensive and far away. Even in town, local food often costs more than grocery store alternatives, simply because it reflects the true cost of growing it.
“People say, your prices are higher, it doesn’t always fit in my budget, but I do feel like it’s fair,” Clarke says. “They understand why it costs more, but it doesn’t always fit the realities of their budget.”
Clarke also points to a challenge many people overlook: having the knowledge, time, and kitchen space to prepare fresh food is itself a privilege that not everyone has. Generations of reliance on processed food have eroded some of the basic cooking skills that turn raw ingredients into a meal.
Still, Clarke sees enormous potential. One idea on the horizon is a “VeggieRx” program, in which doctors write actual prescriptions for fresh fruits, vegetables, and nutrient-dense foods for patients who are food insecure.
“If people have access to fresh and healthy foods and they’re given some support and education on how to use them,” Clarke says, “there’s evidence that it has really amazing benefits to their health.”
How Can You Get Involved?
Help the Klamath Basin continue to rise by getting involved in community programs. Whether your passions lie in food, play, art, wellness, careers for the future, or lifelong health, you can help.
![photos of Danny Hawkes with the text "I just can't extol the virtues of [the Wellness Center] enough."](/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Danny-Hawkes-1-300x147.png)
