fruit

Years of flooding and trade agreements like Nafta made it harder to make money from raising fruits and vegetables, giving the region’s farmers more reasons to convert fields and orchards to vineyards.

But by the early 20th century, orchardists were largely transitioning to a handful of more commercially viable fruit.

The best approach isn’t to go on a diet, which usually fails, but to eat more of the healthy foods you like: unsalted or lightly salted nuts, vegetables, fruits and fish.

Volunteers there fill hydration packs and pass out hundreds of peanut butter-and-jelly sandwiches, bananas, watermelon slices, potato chips, fruit pies and boiled potatoes dusted with salt.

“We’re starting to see the fruits of our labor,” he said.