Where Did The Summer Go?

What an amazing journey rebuilding Salvation Farms continues to be. In the midst of a season that has significantly challenged many of Vermont’s growers, Salvation Farms’ vision has been able to grow and receive the embrace of farmers, citizens, organizations and businesses around our state and beyond.

We’ve been focusing a lot of energy on developing the components of the Vermont Gleaning Collective. Working with the Rutland Area Farm & Food Link (RAFFL) as the Collective’s pilot member organization has been as beneficial for Salvation Farms as it has been for RAFFL. Testing our gleaning program technical assistance role, integrating tried and true operational procedures, and providing training and support to RAFFL staff has validated the Vermont Gleaning Collective concept and the importance of a support organization like Salvation Farms to that Collective.

“RAFFL has been operating a small farm-fresh food rescue and distribution effort since 2008. This season has demonstrated to me the power of the Gleaning Collective. RAFFL has been extremely fortunate to have the focused assistance of Theresa at Salvation Farms. Her guidance has made it possible for us to understand and prepare for the expansion of our program so that RAFFL can be a leading contributor to the farm surplus management system that Salvation Farms is developing for Vermont.” –Tara Kelly, Executive Director RAFFL

We have been working informally with the Burlington’s Intervale Center to see if joining the Vermont Gleaning Collective makes sense for their gleaning program. In exploring this idea, we have been visiting farms in the greater Burlington area to identify the potential for scaling up gleaning activities in this region of the state. Our findings have been promising.

You may be thinking … what exactly is the Vermont Gleaning Collective? It is Salvation Farms’ answer to building a first line of defense in reducing food waste on farms in Vermont. Ten years ago we began building what we believe is the most professional, efficient and effective model for community-based gleaning in the state of Vermont. Through the Collective, Salvation Farms fills a supporting role offering regionally-based food-focused organizations technical assistance to integrate and adapt our model, while scaling up their gleaning activities. Our work instituting the Vermont Foodbank’s gleaning program six years ago was great proof of this concept, as is our current work with RAFFL.

Our last batch of Vermont Commodity potatoes were cleaned and packed at the Southeast State Correctional Facility (SESCF) in May. In preparation for the quickly approaching fall we have been identifying options to expand the crops we will handle at SESCF to include winter squash and possibly apples too. We have been developing a vocational training program for the inmates who will be working with Salvation Farms to pack Vermont Commodity crops this fall and winter.

The opportunity to expand Vermont Commodities to include winter squash this fall came through a strong, historical relationship that Salvation Farms has with High Mowing Organic Seeds. Due to the realities of producing seed, perfectly edible food is often produced but not needed as a food crop but rather as a pollen producer. We have been invited to harvest an estimated 15,000 pounds of near perfect winter squash to pilot expanding our cleaning and packing capabilities at SESCF. That said, we are excited to continue with potatoes and foresee a smooth continuation of the packing we did last winter.