By Lily McVetty, Summer Intern

This week, I volunteered with the Merrymeeting Food Council’s Merrymeeting Gleaners. The organization’s goal is to reduce hunger and increase access to healthy, local food. After the Brunswick Farmers Market on Tuesday, a volunteer named Joan and I collected six boxes of food from a few Market vendors: Whatley Farm, Fairwinds Farm, and Keough Family Farm. We transported the boxes to a Sharing Table located at the Topsham Library. On Wednesday, I assisted four other volunteers (Jean, Julie, Sandy, and Julie) in gleaning produce from Six River Farm, a 13-acre farm in Bowdoinham. It was a wonderful experience to work out in the field and to learn how celery, lettuce, parsley, and tomatoes are being grown at Six River. Collectively, we harvested and sorted 27 boxes of fresh produce! We delivered the produce to several locations: Bath Housing, Bowdoinham Food Pantry, Bowdoin Sharing Table, Oasis Free Clinic, Bath WIC, Amistad, Georgetown, Village Clubhouse, Woolwich Central School, and Arrowsic Sharing Table. 

For more information please contact Kelly Davis, Merrymeeting Gleaners Coordinator, merrymeetinggleaners@gmail.com.