Market Farming

[Alliums <garlicgrower AT earthlink.net>]

Hi, Folks!

The community garden requires that folks donate at least 10% of their 
produce to someone in need or a local agency, so I've been donating stuff 
and finding out where to donate stuff for years.

Food banks, cupboards and kitchen are very, very local.  Chester County 
recently started an organization funded through the county that links all 
of us together so that we can share information and items, but this is NOT 
the norm.  Most places start because someone had the idea.

The bottom line is, you have to ask around.  Our food bank LOVES our fresh 
produce, but they want "common" items (ie tomatoes, summer squash, etc) 
because the "customers" don't understand the unusual items and thus, don't 
select them (so either they get thrown out or the staff eats them because 
then it doesn't go to waste).  They don't want greens or herbs because they 
don't store as well.

In the past, the low-income elderly apartments wanted the produce, but now 
that most of them are really old and frail and don't have the volunteers to 
process the produce, they don't want it.

Our family homeless shelter didn't want the produce in the past, but now 
has a volunteer that loves to can, so she takes our produce and makes 
spaghetti sauce and the like so that if a family suddenly comes to the 
shelter, the nuns can whip up a quick meal for them.

The soup kitchen will take anything, but they are 10 miles away, so I often 
don't bother with the trip.

Church food cupboards come and go -- it's usually a specific person who has 
decided that it's something the church should be doing.  This year, we had 
a church open a brand-new cupboard, but there was no publicity.  You just 
have to ask around and find out what's going on.


Marie wrote:
>  The local food pantry is
> always willing to take food, but I understand the people who work there
> usually go home with the best stuff.

Considering how little most of the folks who work at food banks are paid, I 
never begrudge them whatever food they take -- some places barely pay above 
poverty level wages.  Also, at least around here, many of the folks who 
work in food banks are those that used to be regular patrons of the food 
bank and got jobs there because they found the wherewithall to open one 
through their church or they were such helpful volunteers that when the 
funding became available, they were hired.  These folks often have family 
and neighbors who very much need the produce, but either can't get to the 
food bank on their own or are those folks who are still very much in 
poverty, but are right at the cut-off for assistance. So, the food bank 
workers will often set aside items to take "home" that actually go into the 
neighborhood.

In fact, one of these workers actually lives on my way home from the 
garden, so we worked out a deal where I drop off produce on her front 
porch, she distributes it to folks in the neighborhood who need it (a bunch 
of them love traditional greens, so she distributes them immediately when 
she gets home since the food bank doesn't want them) and then whatever is 
left the next morning goes to the food bank.  I also take delivery of 
expired baked goods not just for my volunteers, but because I know lots of 
folks who are disabled, low-income, etc that really can use the food.

The bottom line is that if you find the right local people, the food will 
go to who will use it best, regardless of what the government poverty 
guidelines are.

Dorene


Dorene Pasekoff, Coordinator
St. John's United Church of Christ Organic Community Garden and Labyrinth

A mission of
St. John's United Church of Christ, 315 Gay Street, Phoenixville, PA  19460