Moscow food pantry could ease pressure

MOSCOW – A Moscow food pantry has built a commercial kitchen that it believes can help small businesses and reduce food waste on the Palouse.

Inland Oasis held a ribbon -cutting with the Moscow Chamber of Commerce on Thursday to celebrate the new kitchen at its location on 730 W. Pullman Road.

The kitchen was made possible with $12,000 in fundraising.

Anneke Jette, who manages the kitchen, said it will allow Inland Oasis to cater events, preserve donated food and help small food businesses prepare their products. For example, she said, businesses that sell at the Moscow Farmers Market can now prepare their food at Inland Oasis.

Megan Stedman, Inland Oasis communications director, said the nonprofit will be able to host community meals thanks to the new kitchen.

Jette said the kitchen will also help their efforts to resurrect the Backyard Harvest program, which allowed local residents to donate produce grown at their homes. That produce will be distributed to food pantries across the region.

Providing produce is a priority for Inland Oasis, which also has a garden just outside its entrance.

Jette, who manages the garden with the help of volunteers and master gardeners, is currently growing produce like lettuce, kale, chard, tomatoes, strawberries and herbs.

The new kitchen will allow staff to freeze, dehydrate and preserve produce so that it will last longer.

“The ability to process things means that we can extend the life and get it to more people,” said Inland Oasis Director Janna Jones.

The garden was made possible with support from multiple nonprofits and was built with volunteers from the Moscow Lions Club and Palouse Habitat for Humanity.

Jette said anybody can reserve the kitchen. People interested in reserving it can contact inlandoasiscoordinator@gmail.com.