Fields to Families Program
Community Farming
Fields to Family Program
The Fairhaven Acushnet Land Preservation Trust has been working with the Marion Institute’s Fields to Families Program to glean our crops and provide fresh produce to local families in our community. Through this partnership, fresh fruits and vegetables grown on our farm property are harvested by volunteers and distributed to food pantries, senior centers, and community organizations across southeastern Massachusetts.
The FALPT is very proud of the work we are doing with the Marion Institute. Together, we are making sure that the food grown on FALPT protected farmland reaches the families and neighbors who need it most.
Harvest Impact
This season’s gleaning program delivered hundreds of pounds of fresh strawberries and blueberries to food pantries and senior centers across nine communities.
Strawberries:
202 Pounds to 7 Organizations
Total harvested: 202.15 lbs — 647 servings
Retail value: $1,212.90
Distributed to: St. Anthony of Padua (New Bedford), TACT (Taunton Area Community Table), Shepherd’s Pantry (Acushnet), Lakeville Senior Center, Rochester Council on Aging, Acushnet Council on Aging, Fairhaven Council on Aging
Blueberries:
603 Pounds to 10 Organizations
Total harvested: 605.69 lbs — 1,269 servings
Retail value: $ 6,037.00
Distributed to: Fairhaven Council on Aging, Acushnet Council on Aging, Warren’s Harborview (Wareham), Mercy Meals & More (New Bedford), Bridgewater State University (Student Pantry), Dorn Davies Senior Center (Brockton), Wareham Senior Center, The Shepherd’s Pantry (Acushnet), and UMass Dartmouth Pantry, Damien's Food Pantry (Wareham)
Volunteer to Glean With Marion Institute
The Fields to Families Gleaning Program is a partnership between FALPT and the Marion Institute that connects volunteer gleaners with FALPT’s farm owned properties to harvest crops that would otherwise go unharvested. The fresh produce is then distributed to food pantries, senior centers, and community organizations throughout southeastern Massachusetts.
How to Participate
VOLUNTEERS MUST SIGN UP THROUGH THE MARION INSTITUTE to participate in the Fields to Families Gleaning Program. When registering, please be sure to add “Fields to Families” in the comment section of the volunteer sign-up form so Marion Institute knows you want to glean on FALPT properties.
Sign Up Through the Marion Institute
Strawberry Harvest — Distribution Details
| St. Anthony of Padua (New Bedford) | 26 lbs |
| TACT (Taunton Area Community Table) | 14 lbs |
| Shepherd’s Pantry (Acushnet) | 56 lbs |
| Lakeville Senior Center | 32 lbs |
| Rochester Council on Aging | 34.5 lbs |
| Acushnet Council on Aging | 17.5 lbs |
| Total | 202.15 lbs |
Photo courtesy of Sarah Cogswell, Fields to Families Manager at the Marion Institute, showing delivered strawberries from Keith’s Farm to Council on Aging members in Lakeville, MA.
Blueberry Harvest — Distribution Details
| Warren’s Harborview (Wareham) | 53.6 lbs |
| Mercy Meals & More (New Bedford) | 109.24 lbs |
| Bridgewater State University (Student Pantry) | 19.33 lbs |
| Dorn Davies Senior Center (Brockton) | 83.53 lbs |
| Wareham Senior Center | 19.33 lbs |
| The Shepherd’s Pantry (Acushnet) | 150.66 lbs |
| Acushnet Council on Aging | 14.5 lbs |
| UMass Dartmouth Pantry Our Daily Bread (Taunton) 8.14 Freetown Regional Food Pantry 79.86 Damien’s Food Pantry 65.5 | 2.5 lbs |
| Total | 605.69 lbs |
For questions about the Fields to Families Program and volunteering with the Marion Institute , please contact Sienna Flynn, Program Director, at (508) 965-1825