By Jane Keller Gordon, Contributing Writer
Grafton – You can join the fight against hunger in Worcester Country by volunteering at the Community Harvest Project (CHP) at its North Grafton location. Last year, thanks to the work of nearly 11,000 volunteers, the CHP grew and distributed almost 260,000 pounds of fruits and vegetables. That translated to approximately 1.2 million servings of produce.
“(Almost 11 percent) of Worcester County, over 87,000 of our neighbors, are food insecure,” Jodi Koeman, CHP’s executive director, said.
In 2015, the CHP made donations to the Hector Reyes House, and Family Health Center of Worcester, and a variety of relief agencies through the Worcester Food Bank.
“Last year we grew 42 percent the fresh fruits and vegetables that the food bank distributed,” said Tori Buerschaper, CHP education and outreach coordinator.
CHP also made donations to Community Servings in Jamaica Plain, which delivers meals to critically ill patients and homebound people.
The CHP grows a variety of produce on 20 acres of the Brigham Hill Community Farm and White’s Farm in North Grafton. This year, the CHP added 30 acres of the Prospect Hill Farm in Harvard. So far, only apples are grown and harvested at that location.
“Community Harvest Project is about growing healthy food, but we are also about people… CHP is proud of our role in creating a healthy and engaged community,” said Koeman.
Buerschaper added, “A farm is naturally a place for discovery, and since CHP is open to everyone we exponentially increase those moments of learning and wonder that occur here.”
Whether you like to get your hands dirty or not, there are many ways to support the Community Harvest Project (CHP):
- Individual volunteers – From May to October, Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon, with the exception of federal holiday weekends, anyone can drop by and volunteer. You might start seeds, plant seedlings, weed, harvest or wash crops. No experience is necessary. The farm is open during light rain, but closed during thunder and lightening storms.
- Groups of volunteers – The CHP welcomes groups (five to 100) during the same time as individual volunteers, but they are asked to sign up in advance. There’s an online form on the website. Space fills up. Adults must accompany children under 16.
- Sprouting Minds – This hands-on educational activity is available for preschoolers to third-graders, fourth- to sixth-graders, and seventh- to 12th- The CHP welcomes any type of group, such as school classes, Scouts, camps, and parents and kids. Children are taught about farming, nutrition, and the variety of vegetables. The cost is $10 per student. Limited scholarships are available.
- Camp and Vacation Programs – This summer from Aug. 8-12 and Aug. 15-19, the CHP is offering a camp program for children entering grades two to eight. Campers will learn how to farm and cook the produce, about nutrition and the habitat, and will enjoy art and activities. The cost is $210 per session. Registration online.
- Internships – The CHP has summer internships for high school and college students from June to August. Students will learn about non-profit work, farming, education, nutrition, service learning and organizing volunteers in a growing organization.
- Community Harvest Ambassador Program (CHAMP) – The CHP will train you to speak about the project, after which you can represent the CHP at events in the area.
- Adopt a Row – Connect your family with a row of plants, watch them grow, and learn how they help those who are hungry. You can select a specific type of produce, or let the CHP choose. A full row is $500; half is $250, quarter is $125, and 10 plants are $50.
- Dimes for Dinners – The CHP will provide you with green tubes, filled with bean seeds. Plant the seeds and watch the beans grow, as does your collection of dimes. It takes about $7 to fill a tube, and every dime makes a difference in the fight against hunger.
- Non-traditional volunteering – The CHP welcomes your support in areas of your expertise, which might include grant-writing, fundraising, nutritional research, marketing, or educational programming.
- Stone Wall Building Workshop – This summer, Jim Baker, who runs Native Landscaping in Charlton will teach you how to build a stone wall on several dates in June. The fee is $60, which goes to the CHP.
CHP is located at 37 Wheeler Road, North Grafton. For more information about volunteer opportunities at CHP, contact Wayne McAuliffe, volunteer coordinator, at 774-551-6544 or [email protected].
Photos/courtesy Community Harvest Project