Thank you so much to all of our members who have asked about how we fared at the farm in the aftermath of the Tropical Storm Isaias. In short, we have been battered and bruised a bit, but we are all ok and safe. As of Saturday afternoon Aug 8 we have no power, water or internet service at the East Granby barn and farmhouse, but we do have some generators running to keep coolers on and the greenhouse watered. The roads are getting cleared and we hope to have regular power systems restored by next Tuesday 8/11.
Most crops did alright through the storm too, but some that were suffering extreme drought stress prior to the heavy winds, such as the sweet corn, were simply blown over. We are looking into finding a neighbor farm to source some corn in the coming weeks.
We are also thankful to the Tuesday members that rescheduled their shares to pick up on Wednesday or other days. Please know that if you were unable to come get your share this week, we did send your food to the soup kitchen at Enfield's Loaves and Fishes on Saturday afternoon, so it would not go to waste and will be used by families in need.
While we always want you to be able to enjoy your share personally by rescheduling your pick up if you can't make it or by sending a friend in your place, we want to share a little bit about what happens to produce if you don't make it to your pick up, and when we have an overabundance of certain crops. Some of the groups that we have been working with for a number of years are Enfield's Loaves and Fishes, Foodshare and the Connecticut Food Bank. Additionally, two years ago, our farm team member Jennifer reached out to Mr. Carter Sutherland of Carter Cares, Inc. upon the advice of one of the many food pantries he services.
Every week now, Carter comes and picks up pallets of our produce to deliver to local food pantries, senior centers, churches and other organizations who, in turn, distribute the food to area citizens in need. Carter helps bridge the gap between the astonishing amount of food from area manufacturers and farms that can needlessly end up in the waste stream, and those who can gratefully use it on their tables. We thank you, Carter, for helping us help others!
**Updated Saturday night, we have power and water back, but no internet. Progress!
