Red Cedar students participated in a service project this fall that contributed produce to local food shelves and raised money for the school’s scholarship fund. Three area farms opened their fields to the students to glean vegetables as the fall harvest was winding down. The students gleaned potatoes, broccoli, spinach, chard, carrots, and radishes at New Leaf Organics in Bristol, Elmer Farm in Middlebury, and The Last Resort Farm in Monkton. The produce was delivered to the Addison County Emergency Food Shelf in Middlebury and to the John Graham Emergency Shelter in Vergennes.
The upper elementary group meets with Jill Kopel, owner of New Leaf Organics in Bristol.
Efforts are growing nationwide to focus attention on the value of gleaning—the gathering of edible crops that would otherwise be left in the field—for providing fresh produce to community food shelves. Our project was assisted by Addison County’s gleaning coordinator, Corinne Almquist (corinne.almquist@gmail.com).
The group heads off to the fields with Jill.
Schuyler, Isaiah, Lena, and Izzi dig carrots.
Red Cedar families created a three-way benefit for this project by getting pledges from relatives and friends for the project. Through the pledges, the school raised $3,000 for its scholarship fund. All students joined in the gleaning as a community service project. The students picked 366 pounds of vegetables.
Henry and Charlie at work
Isaiah washes radishes
Radishes in their glory
