On September 27, Sandy Shore Farms Ltd. held its first Grow and Gather event where Norfolk/Elgin County growers generously donated about 50,000 lb. of fresh fruits and vegetables. About 2,000 folks arrived at Delhi to choose amongst 24 different produce items ranging from squash to peppers to pumpkins.
“We were also amazed at the need within the community for this type of an event,” says Ken Wall, CEO, Sandy Shore Farms Ltd. “We heard from a single mom who was struggling financially and literally limiting food to her kids to one meal/day. For at least a week or two, that little family will eat well with some fresh and healthy local produce. We had a number of folks attend who had recently been laid off from their manufacturing jobs and were struggling with the high cost of groceries. We were able to give away fresh produce to numerous seniors who have a tough time making ends meet on a fixed income.”
Why hold the event? Growers see the value associated with connecting and supporting the communities in which they operate. In the case of Sandy Shore, the Vision is "Growing Community for Generations to Come. "
In a similar vein, there is a lot of dialogue in the media relating to the TFW/SAWP Offshore Worker Program. Nearly all of the distributed produce was planted/tended/grown/harvested/handled in some way by an offshore worker.
“Our goal in the future is to more closely tie the gifting of these locally grown fruits and vegetables to the presence of offshore workers,” says Wall. “This could be a strong affirmation for the continuation of the TFW program for agriculture.”
Wall encourages growers in other Ontario jurisdictions -- Wellington, Chatham, Leamington, Prince Edward County -- and in fact right across the country to organize similar events. “We certainly don't need to take any credit -- we would just love to see these types of events pop up across the country.”
Source : The Grower