Thanks to some unique partnerships within the county, your neighbors will have food on their table and more in their refrigerator. The Door County Food Pantry Coalition, in collaboration with the United Way of Door County and the Door County Community Foundation, is bringing salmon and fresh fruits and vegetables into their locations across the county. On Thursday, volunteers collected salmon during their fall spawning at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ Strawberry Creek Chinook Facility in Sturgeon Bay. In the past, the salmon’s final journey would end when DNR personnel collected the fish’s eggs and discarded the carcass. For the past two years, the organizations have collaborated with fish processors like Baileys Harbor Fish Company to transform the salmon into cuts of meat for distribution at local food pantries. Baileys Harbor Fish Company owner Carin Hickey says it has been great to see the impact of turning thousands of pounds of salmon into delicious meals for families in need. Earlier this month, the Door County Food Pantry Coalition loaded trucks and trailers with more than 1,500 pounds of onions, garlic, shallots, and butternut squash from Gathering Ground, a non-profit farm located on Washington Island. “This new partnership makes a real difference for our pantry,” said Mike Longley, pantry manager at Sturgeon Bay Community Church Food Pantry. “The fresh, shelf-stable produce allows us to offer nutritious options that our families might not otherwise have access to.” The Door County Food Pantry Coalition comprises 10 food pantry locations spanning from Washington Island to Maplewood.