Today we had our first glean of the year at True Love Farm. On Monday, Karen of True Love Farm contacted Bennington Communal Harvest to ask if we could harvest some bok choy that had bolted. Even though bolted bok choy is edible and delicious, many market-goers avoid it, so Karen was looking for an alternative way the bok choy could be used. We agreed to harvest all of the bolted bok choy, and then called Meals on Wheels in Bennington who said that they could use the bok choy in meals during the next few days, including a pork stir fry on Wednesday. Eli and Cleo went to True Love on Tuesday morning, and harvested roughly 50 lbs of bolted bok choy which they then delivered to Meals on Wheels about an hour later. A special thanks to True Love Farm for making use of edible produce, to Hannaford for giving us produce boxes to use, and to Meals on Wheels for preparing the bok choy for community members to eat.
0 Comments
On Friday, October 23rd, we went to Terry's Orchard with a group of volunteers from Bennington College. Orchard Manager, Rob, offered us a taste of a couple different apple varieties before we settled on the Empire apple. He gave us a quick and informative demonstration on how to pick apples and and protect the tree's buds (next year's apple crop). Then, we got to picking. With the help of over 12 volunteers throughout the day, we picked almost 2,000 pounds of apples. These apples were later distributed to local partners, such as HIS Pantry, BROC, the Vermont Veterans Home, Mount Anthony Union Middle School, and several community care homes.
We enjoyed the opportunity to get outside among the trees, and are so thankful to Rob for letting us have the run of two rows of beautiful Empire Apples. We had a very successful first glean and are eager for more opportunities to rescue fresh, local food. Post by: Eli Calhoun On Tuesday, October 6th, we had the pleasure of visiting with Marianne at BROC- Community Action in Southwest Vermont. BROC is part of the federal commodities program, and the food shelve is only one of the many programs they run to change the conditions that foster poverty, and help Vermonters become self-sufficient. They open their pantry every day, and each guest is welcome to visit once per month. Marianne estimates that the BROC's Bennington food shelve services about 250 different families. She told us that they source most of their food from the Vermont Food Bank. They also receive supplementary donations from local faith groups, and use town funding to purchase food from local supermarkets when necessary. BROC does offer some fresh produce, but Marianne expressed a desire for more. We are hoping to make this wish come true in 2016 and beyond.
Post by: Eli Calhoun On Thursday, October 1st, we had the opportunity to visit HIS Pantry at Sacred Heart St. Francisc de Sales, and speak with Diana Center. Diana told us about the pantry and the work they do to address food insecurity in Bennington. They open their pantry twice per week, and guests can come once every month to receive food and other staples. We learned that there are many food and meal assistance programs for folk in and around Bennington. We also learned that Mount Anthony Middle School has donated lots of fresh apples and other produce this Fall. We are excited to partner with HIS Pantry in providing them with fresh, local produce throughout the season in 2016.
Post by: Eli Calhoun |
Bennington Communal Harvest BlogFollow our adventures into local farms, orchards, and backyards here. We will post about past gleans, workshops, and events on a regular basis. Archives
June 2016
Categories |