Veggies for All Presentation

The Belfast Garden Club Evening Lecture Series at the Library continues with presentation by Sara Trunzo, the director of Veggies for All, a food bank farm that works to relieve hunger by growing vegetables for those in need.

Veggies For All (VFA), a project of Maine Farmland Trust, is a food bank farm located in Unity, Maine that works to relieve hunger by growing vegetables for those in need, while collaborating with partners to distribute and increase access to quality and nutritious food. Each year they grow tons of vibrant, pesticide-free produce that is made available to our most food insecure neighbors – at no cost – through traditional emergency food networks. Founded by beginning farmers in 2007, they have grown and distributed over 108,000 pounds of vegetables and engaged hundreds of volunteers in thousands of hours of community-based hunger relief. They are currently working with 10 food pantries to serve 1,500 food insecure, rural people in central Maine. Each year VFA cultivates 3-4 acres of sustainably-managed vegetables around the Unity community. They primarily produce storage crops such as cabbage, potatoes, winter squash, onions, and carrots that help keep local kitchens stocked with healthy staples well into the winter. They partner with local landowners, Unity College, the Volunteer Regional Food Pantry, the Mid-Maine Food Pantry Coalition, Unity Barn Raisers, and other key community groups to add value through education and distribution. Their partnerships help them to maximize their impact and operate efficiently. Learn more about how they do their work in Unity, including some tips and tested practices you may put to use in your own rural community.