By Mary Romaniec
Community Harvest Project continues expansion of its mission toward providing fresh produce toward hunger relief and education for those in need.
At a dedication ceremony on April 27, in the Community Barn off Wheeler Road, the volunteer based farm kicked off their annual growing season by planting the first vegetables on two newly tilled acres of land that was donated by adjacent land owners, David and Shirley White. David White would later add that Community Harvest was doing him a “favor” since it was land he no longer had to mow.
Harvard Pilgrim Health Care donated $42,000 toward the project as part of their expansion of their Healthy Food Initiatives grants. The Fred Harris Daniel Foundation also donated toward the latest effort. Scott Rossiter, a volunteer board member said, “Our food ends up in inner cities and they don’t necessarily know how to cook [some vegetables].” For this reason and others, Community Harvest has sharpened their focus to provide culturally familiar vegetables — along with simple recipe cards — in order to spur greater consumption of nutritious foods.
The end-user of the fresh produce typically live in lower-income neighborhoods, with data suggesting that the shift to healthier food options has led to better health for those who take advantage of the program. “We know that eating healthy food leads to healthier families,” said Executive Director Jodi Koeman who also spoke about Community Harvest’s other mission of nutrition education to those who are underserved.
Another recipient of the fresh produce is Hector Reyes House, a facility in Worcester for mostly Latino men who are recovering from substance abuse. Residents of Hector Reyes are told that part of their treatment plan involves them working at Community Harvest.
Describing their initial reaction as “resistant,” Kelly Aguilar, assistant program director for Hector Reyes, said the men find that farming is a way of dealing with their anxiety and depression. “This is sanctuary for them,” Aguilar said. “This helps with their recovery.”
Residents at Hector Reyes bring back produce that is then cooked and served, adding another layer to their overall recovery. They even started their own garden in the backyard of their facility.
The overall mission of Community Harvest has also spurred organizations, corporations and individuals to volunteer in droves. Last year, the nonprofit farm reported there were over 11,000 volunteer visits representing 170 volunteer groups, 17 interns and 41 team leaders. “People connected with our organization,” said Koeman.
The plans and aspirations for the future include lengthening the growing season through the use of the newly completed greenhouses and adding in cold storage.
Community Harvest began with the Abbott Family Farm in Hopkinton where excess produce was donated for hunger relief in the Boston area. In 2002, the Grafton farm began with land donation off Wheeler Road by Ken Crater and Peg Ferraro.
What started as a few acres has grown to include 18.5 acres in Grafton and 75 acres of orchards in the nearby Town of Harvard. Community Harvest estimates they donated 270,000 pounds of produce in 2015, or about 1.2 million servings.
The post White Farm donates land for Harvest Project appeared first on The Grafton News.