Welcome everyone to another edition of our monthly farm blog. I am your host for this adventure, Farm Manager Jason Lundberg. August brings plenty of heat to the farm. Many favorite crops like potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and onions will begin to find their way into the baskets of daily volunteers. Hundreds of pounds of green beans were harvested over the past weeks for Sack Suppers with a few cucumbers making it into the mix as well.
I thought this would be a great time to introduce you to our Grow Team. We are passionate about the work we do and share a love for the outdoors.
Zack Allen, Farm Assistant, became an intern for KFB in the fall of 2020 to support the Engage and Grow programs. Later, he was hired as a part-time farm assistant role in the spring of 2021, and we are thrilled to now have him full time on the farm this year. His eagerness to learn and passion for the work shows through every day; it’s rare to not see him smiling.
Sara Gropp, Farm Assistant, became an intern for KFB back in 2018. After wrapping up her internship, she moved to Northern Michigan to pursue a love of farming while working as an assistant manager for a family farm. Now, we are lucky enough to have her back on the team. She shows great leadership skills, knowledge of farming techniques and a fearless approach to challenges.
Both of our farm interns, Mason and Ella, come to us from Aquinas University’s Sustainability department. Mason is from Washington State and is a star hockey player with a love for the outdoors. Ella is a young aspiring farmer who has a passion for learning how to create her own successful future farm model. Both have been great additions to the summer staff.
In the summertime, the Kids’ Food Basket Farm distributes much of its bounty to our 11 community pantry partners. Volunteers help harvest, wash, pack and deliver this beautiful produce. Bi-weekly, we are supporting Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative (ELNC). This nonprofit offers innovative early childhood, summer learning and parent engagement opportunities in Grand Rapids. Kids’ Food Basket supplies fresh phytonutrient-rich produce every other Wednesday from July through September. Also included are cooking supplies, recipe books and information about educational opportunities through Kids’ Food Basket. This is our second season supporting this program.
A special day is coming up in September. This is an event where we invite our partner pantries to visit the KFB Farm for some community-building engagement. Families arrive to a fully staffed farm to harvest, wash\pack, explore and learn. We will be doing some surveying, activities with our KFB Learn team and cooking demos.
It is truly a great time for fresh food in West Michigan. In these last days of summer, I urge you take a few moments to get outside, smell the flowers and visit your local farmers market or farm stand for some of the most delicious produce possible.
Enjoy the taste of Michigan summer!
-Farmer J
