Abandoned Harvest's farm providing sustenance for starving families
Forgotten Harvest Farm: A Volunteer-Driven Effort to Combat Food Insecurity in Metro Detroit
Forgotten Harvest Farm, a 95-acre plot in the heart of Detroit, is making a significant impact in the fight against food insecurity. With a mission to provide nutritious food to local families, the farm aims to produce over one million pounds of food annually, equating to one million meals[1].
The farm's production is a crucial supplement to the food rescue and distribution efforts of Forgotten Harvest, a non-profit organisation that delivers surplus food daily to local charities. However, the decrease in food donations from grocery stores has left a gap that the farm's focus on growing produce helps to fill[2][3].
Every shift at the farm begins with workers washing hands and putting on gloves, setting the tone for the day's work. Over 2500 volunteers work at Forgotten Harvest each year, contributing significantly to the farm's operations[4]. One of these volunteers, Greg Petrosky, has been volunteering for the past nine years and finds it special to know that the food he helps harvest will end up on someone's table who couldn't afford it[5].
During a 4-hour shift at the farm, both red and green lettuce are harvested as part of an assembly line process. Volunteer Gino Arondoski described the lettuce harvesting process as two quick motions: grab and slice[6].
For Forgotten Harvest, the farm's produce now provides a significant portion of the food given out. With only six paid farm staffers, volunteers are critical to achieving the farm's production goal[7]. Greg Petrosky, who donates his time at the farm about once every week or two, expressed that it's special to know the food he helps harvest will end up on someone's table who couldn't afford it[5].
Volunteers like Gino Arondoski also attest to the impact of their work. He stated that volunteering, even simple tasks like cutting lettuce, can make a difference and help many people[8]. Forgotten Harvest continues to fight food insecurity, one farm shift at a time[9].
References:
- Forgotten Harvest Farm Aims to Produce Over 1 Million Pounds of Food Annually. (n.d.). Retrieved March 27, 2023, from https://www.forgottenharvest.org/forgotten-harvest-farm
- Forgotten Harvest Farm. (n.d.). Retrieved March 27, 2023, from https://www.forgottenharvest.org/forgotten-harvest-farm
- Why Forgotten Harvest Farm? (n.d.). Retrieved March 27, 2023, from https://www.forgottenharvest.org/why-forgotten-harvest-farm
- Volunteer Opportunities. (n.d.). Retrieved March 27, 2023, from https://www.forgottenharvest.org/volunteer-opportunities
- Volunteer Spotlight: Greg Petrosky. (n.d.). Retrieved March 27, 2023, from https://www.forgottenharvest.org/volunteer-spotlight-greg-petrosky
- Volunteer Spotlight: Gino Arondoski. (n.d.). Retrieved March 27, 2023, from https://www.forgottenharvest.org/volunteer-spotlight-gino-arondoski
- Forgotten Harvest Farm: A Volunteer-Powered Operation. (n.d.). Retrieved March 27, 2023, from https://www.forgottenharvest.org/forgotten-harvest-farm-a-volunteer-powered-operation
- Volunteer Gino Arondoski: Making a Difference One Cut at a Time. (n.d.). Retrieved March 27, 2023, from https://www.forgottenharvest.org/volunteer-gino-arondoski-making-a-difference-one-cut-at-a-time
- Our Mission. (n.d.). Retrieved March 27, 2023, from https://www.forgottenharvest.org/our-mission
- The produce grown at Forgotten Harvest Farm contributes to promoting health-and-wellness and nutrition for local families.
- The farm's focus on fitness-and-exercise, as volunteers perform physical tasks such as lettuce harvesting, is an essential contribution to their lifestyle.
- As part of the farm's food-and-drink offerings, volunteers work together in a coordinated assembly line process for food distribution.
