New Farmer Initiative
Farm to Workplace Delivery Program
Green Mountain Food Hub
Locally Grown Guide
Grow a Row: Food Access & Gleaning
Annual Farmers Gathering
Upcoming Events

Grow a Row - Food access and gleaning program
The Grow a Row program increases access of locally-grown food to everyone in the community, regardless of income. Community-driven and coordinated by RAFFL staff, the program gathers farm-fresh produce and donates it to area food-service agencies for distribution. Through the program, farmers have an outlet to donate extra produce that would otherwise go to waste and food agencies are able to stock fresh veggies and fruits. For more information, check out the Grow a Row poster or call RAFFL at (802) 417-1528.

Help your neighbor. Grow a Row.
How can you help? The program relies on volunteers to glean extra produce from farms and gather extra produce at the end of each farmers market. If you are interested in volunteering in gleaning efforts or at the market, please contact Garland Mason, Local Link Coordinator, at masong@greenmtn.edu.

Farmers. RAFFL is looking for farmers who want to donate produce to the Grow a Row program or are interested in hosting gleaning events for volunteers. E-mail us if you're interested!

Home Gardeners. Home gardeners can help by growing an extra row in their garden and donating that produce to RAFFL. Or, if your garden produces too much for your family to eat, donate the excess to Grow a Row and help folks in your community have access to garden-fresh food! E-mail us us for more details.

2011 Recap - Our most successful year yet!

• Collected and distributed over 17,500 pounds of fresh produce
• 25 farms and 8 home gardeners participated
• 115 volunteers dedicated 354+ hours collecting extra produce from markets, gleaning at farms, and delivering produce to area food agencies

Help us gather and distribute even more produce for this year by contacting Local Link Coordinator Garland Mason at masong@greenmtn.edu.

Partnering Organizations and Individuals. Grow a Row works with many organizations, agencies, and individuals throughout the community including the Community Cupboard, BROC, The Women'sShelter, Dismas House, Fair Haven Concerned, Bardwell House, The Mission, Serenity House, Grace House, Rutland County Parent Child Center, Turning Point, The West Rutland Food Shelf, The Poultney Food Shelf and Saltis House. Produce is collected from the Downtown Rutland Farmers' Market, stored in Thomas Dairy's coolers, and delivered to drop off locations the following Monday. Meadow Squier coordinates the program and the many volunteers essential to each step of this process. The Rutland Community Gardens also play a large role. Thanks also to the following farms and home gardeners who have participated: Ayers Farm, Boardman Hill Farm, Brown's Orchard, Cerridwen Farm, Clark Farm and Maple Country kitchen, Dutchess Farm, Foggy meadow farm, Grabowski Farm, Hand to Mouth Farm, J&S Davis farm, Picture Perfect Farm, Ralph Williams, Ritchie Kniffin, Right Mind Farm, Riverside Farm, Rutland Middle School, Singing Cedars Farm, Smokey House, Sunrise Hill Farm, Terre Bonne Farm, Northwest Elementary, Rutland Intermediate School.

This effort is a partnership between RAFFL, the Vermont Foodbank Gleaning Program, area agencies, and local farms. Contact us to participate next season!