From farm to food pantry
Data Courtesy of Tri Corner FEED

From farm to food pantry

As Leila Hawken’s reports in today’s paper, Q Farms in Sharon, owned and operated by Linda and James Quella, will close its retail store on Sunday, June 18. The problems associated with trying to run a sustainable, ecologically friendly farming operation proved insurmountable for many familiar reasons—difficulties finding enough staff, and difficulties creating high-quality meat, egg, and plant food products with price points low enough for wide distribution among them.

But rather than walking away from these problems, the Quellas have created a nonprofit entity, Tri Corner FEED, that will look for ways to promote food equity—the ability of people to get high-quality, nutrient-dense food whenever they need it. They are also hoping to create markets for farmers, beginning with the establishment of a network of local farmers and food pantries.

Hawken writes: “One of the aims of the organization will be to pay farmers a fair price for their products and channel those products to existing area food pantries, including The Corner Pantry in Lakeville and St. Thomas Pantry in Amenia….Others might participate by paying reduced prices according to their financial ability. The new organization is working toward a partnership with North East Community Center in Millerton to establish a sliding scale pricing system through a federal Local Food Promotion grant program.”

There are programs already up and running to emulate. The Glynwood Center for Regional Food and Farming in Cold Spring, New York is one. It has a program that involves purchasing food upfront from farmers and then donating that food to the food pantry system. The farmers have a market because food is being purchased from them at a fair price. And the food pantries are getting great food. Win/Win. The Sky Farm in Ancramdale,  New York, is another. Since 2011, it says it has donated over 100,000 pounds of vegetable and 65,000 pounds of animal protein to food pantries, food banks, and other food access organizations around New York State. The Northwest Community Food Hub, which has been operating since 2017, is a third.

The issue of food security impacts every community in Connecticut, rich or poor. United Way’s ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Restrained, Employed) is a method of identifying people who work and earn money but not enough to make ends meet, and certainly not enough to buy high-quality, nutrient-dense food. Nearly 40% of the households in the Tricorner counties (Dutchess, Columbia, Litchfield, Berkshire) live in poverty or below the ALICE threshold.

And with the exception of the farmer’s market every Saturday, our neighbors in nearby Millerton live in a food desert—there is no grocery store, which means you need to have a car to get to a store somewhere else.

Addressing the issues surrounding food security requires a multi-faceted approach. Hats off to the Quellas and other folks like them who are willing to step up. According to estimates from Feeding America, more than 380,000 (1 in 10) Connecticut residents struggle with hunger and more than 83,000 children are food insecure. Food security is a challenge every community needs to embrace.

Latest News

Foreign exchange students reflect on a year in the U.S.

Charlie Castellanos, left, and Allegra Ferri, right, sitting in the HVRHS library to talk about their experiences in the U.S.

Anna Gillette
“I would say if you are thinking about doing the program, do it because you get out of your comfort zone and learn so many things...” —Charlie Castellanos

Every year, Housatonic Valley Regional High School welcomes foreign exchange students to attend classes through the AFS Intercultural Programs. This school year, two students traveled to Northwest Connecticut to immerse themselves in American life and culture. Allegra Ferri, a 17-year-old from Italy, and 16-year-old Charlie Castellanos from Colombia sat down to reflect on their experience at HVRHS. As the academic year is coming to an end, they shared a few highlights of their time in the U.S. and offered advice to prospective exchange students.

What has been your favorite part of your exchange experience?

Allegra: “My favorite part of this exchange year was coming here and experiencing an American high school.”

Keep ReadingShow less
HVRHS students bring back student newspaper
From left, Ibby Sadeh, Anna Gillette, Nathan Miller, Maddy Johnson and Caitlin Hanlon proof the pages of HVRHS Today at the Lakeville Journal office while Shanaya Duprey teleconferences in on Thursday, May 29.
James H. Clark

Students from Housatonic Valley Regional High School wrote and produced the inaugural edition of HVRHS Today, a new publication by and for students in the Northwest Corner.

This inaugural issue of HVRHS Today marks the first student-led journalism effort at the high school in several years. The program is a collaboration between the Lakeville Journal, the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation and the 21st Century Fund.

Keep ReadingShow less
Mountaineers take second place in WCLC

WATERTOWN — Housatonic Valley Regional High School girls lacrosse played Watertown High School for the Western Connecticut Lacrosse Conference championship Wednesday, May 28.

The cold, rainy game went back and forth with three ties and three lead changes. Watertown was ahead when it counted and earned a 6-4 victory to claim the league title.

Keep ReadingShow less