Rory ’26 is providing low-income members of the Greenfield community with fresh, sustainably grown produce by using a summer grant to supply weekly farm-share salads to the Second Helpings meal program.
This summer I am providing low-income members of the Greenfield community with sustainably grown food through a CSA farm share.
When I first started serving the Monday night meal at the Second Helpings program in Greenfield last August, we were in the middle of a classic Massachusetts heat wave. As I walked into the Parish Hall for the first time, I was immediately met by members of the Greenfield community smiling and chatting away waiting for the meal service to begin, making almost no acknowledgment to the sweltering heat of the room. At 4:30, as the meal was about to begin, a line formed and snaked around the room; it was the last Monday of the month, the busiest time for Second Helpings because community members had run out of food stamps. I watched as people filtered through the line getting each part of their meal: the Sante Fe chicken skillet, green beans, and finally the salad. Almost every single person stopped in front of the salad and said, “wow am I glad to have something fresh on a day like today.” However, after only half of the line was served the salads were already gone.
This was a pattern I noticed almost every Monday going forward, the salad being the most popular provision, yet the most limited. For many members of the Greenfield community, Monday nights are one of the only opportunities to eat something fresh in their week. Fresh locally grown produce and vegetables are much more costly as compared to frozen meals, forcing many people to stay away from them despite their necessity to a healthy balanced lifestyle. This summer I wanted to find a way to increase the volume of salad available at the Second Helpings meal.
I used my grant money to purchase a farm share from Natural Roots farm in Conway Massachusetts. The program allows me to pick up a hearty amount of fresh fruits and vegetables every week based on what’s available during the growing season.
Last week I made a salad that included radishes, arugula, kale, lettuce, spinach, garlic scapes, and parsley. And for the first time, I noticed something amazing, we were able to serve enough salad for everyone who came to the meal, almost having leftovers! As I served the meal that night many people smiled as they saw the salad; the ingredients even sparked some discussions among community members. I am excited to continue this project throughout the summer and get more closely involved with my local community.
