Apples gleaned at Connemara House Farm in Topsfield This past month has been all about apples! In September alone, we gleaned 40,980 pounds (1046 bushels) of apples. Most of this crop came from two farms, Connemara House Farm, a private family orchard in Topsfield, and Kimball Fruit Farm, a large market farm in Pepperell. Additionally, we added another strong source of apples in Sholan Farms, a community owned and run non-profit farm in Leominster with an incredible community vibe.
Other than apples, we gleaned 35 other varieties of crops in September, second to apples being corn (12,090 pounds from Brigham Farm, Kimball Fruit Farm, and Dennis Busa Farm), and third being watermelon (2,978 pounds from Appleton Farms and The Food Project-Lincoln). This was the most melon we have ever gleaned (with an additional 1500 pounds gleaned in early October!). Specifically at The Food Project, they had harvested all they wanted from the field for their CSA members, and before they plowed it all under, they gave us a call to go out glean it for donation. We also began working with WCI (Work Community Independence) Waltham, a private non-profit agency providing homes, employment and day supports to people with a wide range of intellectual and developmental disabilities; a few individuals from the organization helped us glean watermelon at The Food Project.
Looking forward to October, we hope to get all of the peppers, eggplants, and other frost sensitive crops we can before it gets too cold. And, of course, we will continue to glean as many apples as our volunteers can pick!
To the Harvest!
Matt Crawford
Lead Gleaning Coordinator
Other than apples, we gleaned 35 other varieties of crops in September, second to apples being corn (12,090 pounds from Brigham Farm, Kimball Fruit Farm, and Dennis Busa Farm), and third being watermelon (2,978 pounds from Appleton Farms and The Food Project-Lincoln). This was the most melon we have ever gleaned (with an additional 1500 pounds gleaned in early October!). Specifically at The Food Project, they had harvested all they wanted from the field for their CSA members, and before they plowed it all under, they gave us a call to go out glean it for donation. We also began working with WCI (Work Community Independence) Waltham, a private non-profit agency providing homes, employment and day supports to people with a wide range of intellectual and developmental disabilities; a few individuals from the organization helped us glean watermelon at The Food Project.
Looking forward to October, we hope to get all of the peppers, eggplants, and other frost sensitive crops we can before it gets too cold. And, of course, we will continue to glean as many apples as our volunteers can pick!
To the Harvest!
Matt Crawford
Lead Gleaning Coordinator