As the leaves turn...

Happy Autumn, dear readers!

This is a busy time for Salvation Farms. Theresa is back in the prison for weeks at a time working with a new inmate crew. The VISTAs (and Theresa) are stepping in to lead gleaning and processing events. We’re planning a benefit concert with a fantastic lineup of musicians, and promoting our new beer! Read on below for those details… We’re also stretching our creative minds to update and improve the way we share our story: though our brochure and through a new donor newsletter that we intend to publish each season (just like in the old days).

Which means that it’s also high time to take a little break to send you an update. But ah! Where to begin...?

First, some exciting news if you haven’t already heard: we had amazing success meeting and exceeding our matching challenge in August. The building renovation project at the prison is still a huge target for us and with a big boost to our fundraising effort this summer it feels as though the end is in sight—with $49,000 left to raise before inmate crews can begin basic construction.

It sounds like a lot, but putting it in perspective, we have come a long way towards our total fundraising goal -- an estimated $155,700 -- since this time last year. That said, we will need to close this gap and raise that final $49,000 before this winter, when construction is slated to begin. Will you join us in the final push?

If you’ve already given – thank you sincerely.

If you are able to chip in to help us meet our goal, please consider it!

There are other ways to support us too, if you are a fan of good music and/or beer. Our taste buds are excited about Rock Art Brewery’s fresh batch of Humble Harvester IPA, a limited release that you can find on shelves and taps in select locations. Proceeds from this limited release brew directly support the work of Salvation Farms. We could not be more excited and appreciative!

Head over to Rock Art Brewery or Moog’s Place in Morrisville to try it, or ask your favorite beverage store or eatery to stock this brew if they don’t already.

Take note Lamoille Valley folks: Moog’s Place in Morrisville is generously donating an additional 50 cents per pint that they sell of the Humble Harvester! If you enjoy beer, why not enjoy good music along with it? Head on over to Moog’s to sample our new brew and support us doubly.

Speaking of Moog’s, we are thrilled that Tom Moog has offered to collaborate with us again to put together a benefit concert for Salvation Farms. Once again, Dead Sessions is headlining – We have no idea which of the many beloved Grateful Dead tunes they’ll cover yet, but are looking forward to the surprise! Come and find out, and enjoy a full lineup of awesome local musicians:

Salvation Farms Benefit Concert

Sunday, October 12^th 3pm

Moog’s Place: 97 Portland Street, Morrisville, VT

Music all afternoon into the evening: Eames Brothers Band, Lesley Grant, Seth Yacavone, Nick Denoia, Curtis Evans Kile & Friends, and Jason Wedlock, with Dead Sessions beginning around 7:30

Plus: Humble Harvester on tap, Food and drink, and maybe a raffle…

Meanwhile, our programs are in full swing. The new crew members at the Southeast State Correctional Facility, who accepted open positions earlier this year, started operations in early September, have thus far cleaned, sorted, and packaged more than a ton of winter squash and 3.5 tons of apples gleaned from the Yates Family Orchard. From the latter, the resulting packages were sent to the Lamoille Community Food Share, the Vermont Foodbank, and the Keene Community Kitchen.

We plan on gleaning and delivering another round of Yates apples after our glean on October 11^th. And – tons of potatoes are just around the corner.

We continue developing the minimal processing component of the Vermont Commodity Program—this has us in the kitchens of the Vermont Food Venture Center again this year. On a steamy August day a team of hearty volunteers helped us turn more than 500 pounds of gleaned sweet corn into frozen product. Small batches of acorn squash and bell peppers will meet a frozen fate as well. These products are all destined for senior meal sites, schools, and food shelves in the Lamoille Valley for product testing. Thank you High Mowing Organic Seeds for your continued support through offering seed production crops to glean and process as part of creating Vermont Commodity products.

Gleaning opportunities still abound throughout our state, and our partners in the Vermont Gleaning Collective have been active collecting kale, cabbage, potatoes, and other crops from farms in their region. We have also stepped in to lead gleans as needed — for Community Harvest of Central Vermont this summer and at Vermont Technical College this fall.

We’ve been actively supporting the gleaning coordinators of the Vermont Gleaning Collective member organizations through training support. In early September, coordinators gathered for the 3rd Quarter Meeting of 2014 at Bella Farm in Monkton. Ginger Nickerson, of UVM Extension, worked with Salvation Farms to design and instruct a Produce Safety training at the meeting.

Our online platform for the Vermont Gleaning Collective is now over 200 volunteers strong! Despite some tweaks we think will make the tool even better, we are pleased with its debut. We are excited to analyze the data collected once winter settles in and coordinators are able to return to their desks! Register as a gleaner today if you have not yet already - the season is still ripe for gleaning.