| Food Share farm becomes a reality  The dust has settled on our green bean farm and the soil lies ready for planting with a July 15 plant date. On that day volunteers from Five Oak Farms planted seeds on a 20-acre field near Santiam Correctional Institude east of Salem, on State-owned lands.
Leading up this plant date, Marion Ag Services and WILCO Farm Stores donated lime, dolomite and the application of pre-plant fertilizers necessary for the beans to grow lush and healthy. Volunteers from Keudell Farms, Iverson Farms, Doerfler Farms, Butler Farms, and Mark Lewis Farms used their own tractors and equipment to prepare the soil bed, and have indicated their willingness to help throughout the growing season. Volunteers from Marion County Jail's Work Center will irrigate the beans and perform the day-to-day field maintenance. The beans will be harvested in early September by Truitt Bros. After harvest, this local cannery will process and package the beans at little cost to Marion-Polk Food Share. This project is estimated to produce well over 100,000 cans of shelf-stable green beans providing essential nutrition to every food box distributed through the Food Share network. This is the first time in our history that Food Share has undertaken such a large-scale food production project, one that certainly would not have been possible without the generous support and collaboration of all of our partners this year. Many community members view projects like this as playing a vital role in the future of food banking-especially with the escalation in the cost of living, including food prices. For more information about the Food Share farm program, contact Brian Haley at 503-581-3855 x320 or bhaley@foobanksalem.org. | A special commitment to end hunger The present economy means times are not easy right now. Many families, who were just getting by on their own, are needing food boxes. Donors are feeling the same financial pressures, as gas and food costs increase. That means that at the exact time when we are needed most, the resources to do our work are in jeopardy. For these reasons, we are asking each of our donors to consider joining a special group: our Monthly Sustainer Circle. Members of this group give a monthly contributiion of an amount they choose, which is automatically donated from their checking account or credit card.It saves us costs so more of each dollar goes to fight hunger, and it's easy for donors, too. No more checks to write, stamps to stick, or trips to the post office. Most importantly, it lets donors budget their giving: a modest monthly amount adds up to a significant impact on local hunger by the end of the year. Click here |
