Maine Harvest for Hunger featured in BDN
The Bangor Daily News published an article on Maine Harvest for Hunger, a University of Maine Cooperative Extension program that for the last 15 years has organized gardeners, farmers, businesses, schools and civic groups to grow and donate produce to food pantries, shelters and other food distribution points in the state. Last year the effort brought more than 318,000 pounds of food to 188 distribution centers and individuals with an estimated value of $537,000, according to the article. “Maine Harvest for Hunger was born out of the realization of rising food insecurity among Maine’s general population,” said Frank Wertheim, an associate professor with UMaine Extension in York County and director of the program. “We had this network of gardeners and volunteers in Maine who met with people at Good Shepherd [Food Bank of Maine] and other food pantries and asked what can we do to help with fresh produce.” Since the program began, it has provided close to 2.2 million pounds of food to people in Maine where the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates 16.2 percent of Maine households are food insecure, the article states. Now is the time for gardeners wanting to work with Maine Harvest for Hunger to start thinking about potential crops, said Kate Garland, a horticulturist with UMaine Extension. “It’s one of the favorite parts of my job,” Garland said of being involved with the program. “The stories that I hear are really powerful.”