Civil Eats: Gaining Ground, Growing Food For All

Not long ago, we blogged about the importance of access to fresh food for all people. Fresh fruits and vegetables should be a right, not a privilege. The Brooklyn Rescue Mission (which we mentioned in that blog) is one example of a food pantry that’s working towards achieving this goal. A recent Civil Eats post by Stacey Slate chronicles the story of another farm with the objective of sustainable food for all.

The people behind Gaining Ground, a non-profit farm in Concord, Massachusetts, don’t just believe that the hungry shouldn’t have to subsist on canned and boxed food donations. They make sure they don’t, by converting this principle into 30,000 pounds of organic produce grown between April-October. Then, they donate it all to hunger relief organizations in their region.

Their philosophy exemplifies the current trend of democratizing organic foods. But this farm has been around since 1994, which says a lot about the integrity and longevity of its intention. “Simplicity makes us nimble,” said farmer Verena Wieloch. “We aren’t beholden to supporting our own huge infrastructure to make the farm successful. If a crop fails, it’s not the end of the farm. We’re not counting on every dollar for every pound of potatoes to make our living.”

They lease their land from the town and receive funding from individuals, family foundations, and the local community chest. Their annual student read-a-thon, Read For Seeds, encourages 3rd graders from the local public schools to get involved with community service. The kids generally raise 15% of the farm’s yearly budget. But Gaining Ground keeps a tight budget of $150,000 which means that volunteerism is tremendously important, and team leaders work to inspire their volunteers to feel as enthusiastic about community responsibility as they feel themselves.

“I’m not a farmer. I’m a farmer enabler,” says board member Stona Fitch. The same holds true for the rest of the board, which is comprised of financial people, writers, locals and parents. On Saturdays, they also head up Concord Food for Families, which gives a direct deposit of freshly picked crops to 30+ families in the area. Last Saturday in the rain, they filled a truck with squash, greens and onions, set up a table behind the Armory, and gave their produce away. They also talked to their customers about how to cook the vegetables, teaching them not only about nutrition and recipes but also about the pleasures of cooking.

Read the rest of the article here.