Do you know what real hunger feels like? Most of us don’t. But over 40 million people in America do. Food insecurity is the state of being without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food. In 2017, more than 40 million Americans were food insecure. They are hungry and do not have the means to purchase, and many times prepare, nutritious food. They rely on food pantries and food kitchens for their daily meal. And I specifically wrote meal vs. meals as many only have access to one meal each day.
Food pantries traditionally supply canned and boxed foods. However, there has been a significant movement to donate farm fresh vegetables and supply fresh, local produce to food pantries across America. Hobbs Community Farm was conceived by a woman who was a recipient of a food pantry at one point in her life. The boxed and canned foods she received from food pantries lacked nutrition. She always knew that one day, when she was in a better place financially, that she would do something to add nutritious, fresh produce to the mix of foods that are donated to people in need. And, in 2007, she did just that.
Hobbs Community Farm donates approximately 30,000 pounds of organically grown, farm fresh vegetables to local food pantries. The pantries that receive the produce offer it directly to their recipients or prepare meals with the produce. Here is a list of the 2019 food pantries and kitchens where our farm fresh produce is helping to support local community members:
2019 Food Pantry Recipients
God’s Provisions, Patchogue, NY
Restoration & Revival Center, Patchogue NY
Friendship Kitchen, Middle Island NY
St. Cuthbert’s Episcopal Church, Selden NY
St. Jude’s Catholic Church, Mastic Beach, NY
PAX Christi (Hope House Ministries), Port Jefferson, NY
St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, Lake Ronkonkoma NY
The Community Growth Center, Port Jefferson Station, NY
Grace Cave Ministries, part of Genesis Church, Medford, NY
Head Start, Port Jefferson, NY
Donating Farm to Table Soups
Getting nutritious food to people in need is one thing. However, in many instances, people do not have the means or knowledge to use the produce. Many people do not know what to do with kale, Swiss chard or broccoli leaf. Or they do not have access to a stove in order to create a simple soup or cook up these nutritious vegetables.
One of our 2019 HeartBeet Farms’ customers purchased 10 Summer CSA shares and donated the farm to table soups from their shares back to us. We then donated these soups to Head Start in Port Jefferson, NY. The Head Start Program is a program of the United States Department of Health and Human Services that provides comprehensive early childhood education, health, nutrition, and parent involvement services to low-income and at-risk children and their families. Head Start Port Jefferson distributes these prepared farm to table soups to their families. In addition to the soups, we also donate fresh vegetables as well.
Support the Mission to Donate Farm Fresh Vegetables
People often wonder, “How do you do it? How do you endure the heat at the farm? How do you stay out there for hours weeding or planting?” Yes, many of us enjoy it on some crazy, unexplainable level. But when you see and hear about the positive impact you are having on local families, it makes you pause…and then keep on farming!
When you shop at any of our HeartBeet Farms or Hobbs farm stands, when you purchase our winter, spring, summer or fall CSA, when you purchase our honey, when you attend our farm for an education program or field trip, when you purchase our Root for the Beet book, you are helping to feed local Long Island families in need. Thank you for supporting our mission to donate farm fresh vegetables to those in need of nutritious food.
