Pizza Shack teams up with Veggie Rescue

Pizza Shack teams up with Veggie Rescue

By Victoria Martinez

Local pizza lovers can now enjoy a pizza showcasing seasonal, local produce while supporting Veggie Rescue.

Pizza Shack in Santa Ynez is selling a “Veggie Rescue Pizza,” a seasonal pizza that uses local produce, and donating a portion of the sales to Veggie Rescue.

Santa Ynez Valley Fruit & Vegetable Rescue (“Veggie Rescue”) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that collects excess produce from local farms, farmers markets and backyards and distributes it directly to schools and organizations serving those in need, at no cost to the recipient.

“It’s a great cause, and I thought this would be a good opportunity to be a part of it,” said Ryan Morrell, Pizza Shack’s owner.

Morrell came up with the idea along with Veggie Rescue President and Founder Terry Delaney, as Delaney and his family are frequent patrons at Pizza Shack.

“A local restaurant, local farmers, and Veggie Rescue. We are raising more for our community and our schools. That’s what I’m most proud about,” Delaney said.

This season’s “Veggie Rescue Pizza” includes a mix of olive oil, spinach, red onion, feta and ricotta cheese, with $2 of every large and $1 of every small pizza sold donated to Veggie Rescue. Later this summer, a new seasonal pizza will feature heirloom tomatoes.

Pizza Shack is at 3521 Numancia St. in Santa Ynez.

More information about Veggie Rescue is available at www.veggierescue.org. Veggie Rescue is also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at facebook.com/SYV-Fruit-Vegetable-Rescue, twitter.com/VeggieRescue and instagram.com/veggierescue.

Veggie Rescue’s mission is to improve the nutrition and quality of life of community members who are struggling with food security by providing them with healthy, local produce, and to work with farmers to reduce food waste at the beginning of the food cycle.