Small steps taken to address food insecurity become heroic efforts when neighbors are in need.

For eight years now, Plenty! has provided 1,800 individuals with 131 tons of food throughout Floyd County. The nonprofit operates a working farm, large food pantry and produce delivery program, and hosts community meals and nutrition education programs.

Supporting farms and donors help Plenty! ensure a source of seasonal produce or pantry staples for neighbors—a safety net becoming increasingly necessary, said Nancy Tome, Plenty! executive director.

Pantry traffic has steadily increased since January 2022, up 40% in August from the peak-pandemic record.

Tome described conversations with patrons. “They say, ‘I’m on my way to work and had to put gas in my tank, and now I think I’m going to need food.’ Of course, we get them served so they can care for their families.”

Supporting farms contribute to Plenty!’s store. Others share plant seedlings. Home gardeners donate their excess. Grocery stores divert items reaching sell-by dates. Food banks send provisions. Volunteers beat a path.

They’re all food-rescue heroes, Tome explained.

“This type of work requires a lot of people with intention to take extra steps to make this happen,” she said.

Plenty! Farm, established in 2014 on 18 acres along the Little River, is managed by Mark Hammes with the help of interns, volunteers and patrons. Last season, Plenty! Farm grew 800 pound of purple potatoes and 600 pounds of corn.

It also produces elderberries, kale, chestnuts, tomatoes and shagbark hickory nuts. Chinese chestnut trees line the property, dropping nuts that Hamme collects to freeze or plant.

“I grow as many vegetables as I can sustainably, within budget, for our pantry,” he said.

Nonprofit Shalom Farms fills need in Richmond’s food deserts

In the city of Richmond, almost one-fourth of the population lives in poverty. In some communities in the city’s East End, North Side and South Side, poverty rates are even higher, and healthy, affordable food often is difficult to find.

For organizations like Richmond-based nonprofit Shalom Farms, bridging the divide between nutritious food and those in need is the pillar of their existence.

“Healthy food is a huge component of living a healthy life, so we want to make sure that everyone has equitable access to healthy food,” said Erin Lingo, director of programs for Shalom Farms.

Between Shalom Farms’ two sites in Richmond’s North Side and Powhatan County, the volunteer-supported organization grows about 200,000 pounds of produce each year. That produce then is distributed by Shalom Farms through its Mobile Market and Produce Rx Program, and is donated to a dozen food pantries, as well as local Meals on Wheels.

Through its Grow and Go Mobile Market, Shalom Farms visits 15 sites a week, stopping in communities and neighborhoods that aren’t served by traditional farmers markets or grocery stores. Shoppers can purchase farm-fresh broccoli, collards, kale, lettuce, peppers, squash, tomatoes and zucchini at significantly lowered prices.

With programs such as the Virginia Fresh Match program further reducing prices by as much as an additional 50%, customers can purchase healthy food that may otherwise be cost-restrictive.

“When someone comes to the mobile market and they’re carrying home bags full of produce, we know by very real accounts that they’re increasing their consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables,” Lingo added.

Fauquier Education Farm merges education and philanthropy

Doubling as a teaching farm and food hub for local and regional food assistance, the Fauquier Education Farm’s mission is to connect those in need with fresh and nutritious food.

Jim Hankins has been the Warrenton-based nonprofit organization’s executive director since 2014. Drawing from a background in commercial farming and agriculture management, he oversees the farm and the 60 varieties of fruits and vegetables cultivated across its 10-acre plot.

Coordinating harvests and donation pickups twice a week from May through mid-December, the Fauquier Education Farm distributes produce grown on the farm to a network of over 80 food banks and pantries, reaching 12,000 to 15,000 food-insecure people annually.

Food banks, Hankins explained, often receive boxed and canned food, but farm-fresh produce is more difficult to come by because most food banks have limited refrigeration.

“I want to take the same quality of produce that I (have) taken to an upscale farmers market to (local) food banks,” Hankins added. “We want to help people improve their diet choices.”

Crops grown on the farm are curated with food banks and recipients in mind. The assortment Hankins grows keeps the selection from being monotonous, and hardy produce like squash, kale and cabbage has a longer shelf life.

Hankins said he’s grateful for the volunteers who dedicate their time on the farm.

“The people who are motivated to do this are really exceptional humans,” he said. “The satisfaction of knowing everything we’re growing is being donated to area food banks is incredibly rewarding.”

To read the full article about Virginia farms giving back to their communities, visit issuu.com/virginiafarmbureau, click on Farm Bureau News November 2022, and turn to page 15.