World Food Day is October 16 this year and is observed in 150 nations. But the impact of the United Nations event will be felt at the local level, through activities involving governments, businesses, the media, the public, even youth.
One local group making a difference is America’s Grow-a-Row. The Pittstown, NJ-based nonprofit organization donates 2.5 million pounds, or 10 million servings, of farm fresh produce annually to food banks, soup kitchens, and food pantries in New Jersey, New York City, Philadelphia and eastern Pennsylvania, and, through the Mid-Atlantic Regional Cooperative, the greater northeast region from Maine to Virginia.
The mission of America’s Grow-a-Row is to positively impact as many lives as possible through a volunteer effort of planting, picking, rescuing, and delivering free fresh produce. The organization:
- provides fresh, healthy produce to those in need
- educates people of all generations about hunger and ways to help
- introduces youth to farming and healthy eating
- cultivates in tomorrow’s leaders the habit of giving back
- contributes to the sustainability of agriculture
Recently, we sat down to talk to Susan Kalfaian, Grant and Public Relations Specialist at America’s Grow-a-Row, about the organization’s mission and how it is meeting the challenges of the current economic environment.
Q: What are “food deserts,” how do they develop, and what are the implications of them for nearby residents?
A: This is a complicated question, but in short, food deserts are areas that lack access to fresh, affordable healthy food, particularly fruits and vegetables. They exist in every county in New Jersey, according to the New Jersey Economic Development Authority’s February 2022 report on the state’s food desert communities.
Studies show that people experiencing food insecurity face disproportionately higher rates of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. In addition, children who face food insecurity have higher rates of not only physical health issues (such as anemia, stomach aches, headaches, colds, and other chronic health conditions) but also cognitive development issues.
Q: We saw, from your website, that “America’s Grow-a-Row” originated back in 2002 from the donation of excess vegetables from a family garden to the Flemington Area Food Pantry. What led you to think that a formal organization like America’s Grow-a-Row was needed?
A: America’s Grow-a-Row began with the efforts of a single volunteer, Chip Paillex. In 2002 Chip and his young daughter Kyra donated 120 pounds of fresh produce from their home garden to the Flemington Area Food Pantry. When Chip saw the scarcity of fresh fruits and vegetables at local food pantries and the subsequent need, he became inspired to grow produce to feed the hungry.
The program has grown exponentially since then. We are now in our 20th year of service, operating on four Hunterdon County farms totaling 420+ acres.
Q: What are some of the major areas where America’s Grow-a-Row has made a difference to communities?
A: With the help of our volunteers, each year we donate over 2 million pounds of fresh food to those in need, and in 2021 we donated 2.4 million pounds – or 9.6 million servings – of healthy food.
We distribute fresh fruits and vegetables to hunger relief agencies and crisis centers in every corner of New Jersey through our partnerships with large regional hunger relief agencies and smaller food banks and food pantries. We also distribute to similar groups in New York City, Philadelphia, and the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania. We have even responded to urgent requests for fresh produce at food banks in Texas and Kentucky.
Q: What is involved in rescuing fresh produce in your gleaning program?
A: Our volunteers glean fresh produce from the fields that our local farm partners have not been able to pick and pick up excess produce that would otherwise go to waste from local grocery stores, such as local ShopRite stores. We then deliver it to our hunger-relief partners year-round.
Q: Can you talk a little about your education programs for children and adults?
A: We partner with schools, community groups, and healthcare organizations to implement our comprehensive curriculum about nutrition and healthy eating.
Our students learn how fresh fruits and vegetables grow, how eating fresh produce forms strong minds and bodies, and how to prepare a healthy meal with fresh produce. We also provide culinary education for people struggling with diet-related diseases such as diabetes and colorectal cancer.
The goal of our nutrition and culinary education program is to create lifelong habits that help reduce the risk and effects of chronic health problems. We also teach volunteers and student groups about the hunger crisis and the impact of health issues that go hand-in-hand with food insecurity.
Besides our in-person education classes and workshops, our virtual education curriculum has allowed us to not only continue providing education sessions for our partners through the pandemic but also expand our lesson offerings and broaden our reach.
Q: What do children take away as a result of the Kids Farm Days your organization conducts?
A: At our farm, children from underserved communities learn about healthy eating and agriculture, harvest fresh fruits and vegetables to take home, and prepare a healthy snack. These visits reinforce the connection between farm, plate, and a healthy body for our youngest clients. Often the time spent at a Grow-a-Row Kids Farm Day is their first visit to a farm.
While at the farm, children also can harvest extra produce to be donated to other families in need. This activity resonates with the children, and they have a genuine enthusiasm for helping to gather healthy food for those who are not able to visit the farm.
Q: Have you seen how nutritious foods have contributed to your clients’ overall and oral health?1
A: As an example, we partner with Hunterdon Healthcare’s Center for Nutrition and Diabetes Management to facilitate a Produce Prescription Program. Through this program we distribute fresh fruits and vegetables to patients in need who have been referred by their clinicians and who have either been diagnosed with diabetes or are considered at high risk for developing it.
Participants increased daily and weekly consumption and serving size for both fruits and vegetables because of this program, according to a 2021 report prepared by our partners at the Center for Nutrition and Diabetes Management. The report also stated that consistent access to fresh produce was essential for “maintaining a healthy weight, healthy A1C, and overall systemic health and high quality of life.”
Q: What are your future goals for America’s Grow-a-Row?
A: We plan to continue and, where possible, expand our programs as long as food insecurity exists in our communities.
Since our beginning 20 years ago, we have donated more than 15.4 million pounds of fresh food to those in need, and we plan to donate 2.6 million pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables to those suffering from hunger in 2023.
Food insecurity exists in every county in New Jersey, from the poorest to the most affluent, and in urban, suburban, and rural communities alike. It is critical that people suffering from hunger have fresh, nutritious food as a staple of their diets. We believe that in the Garden State and across the nation, everyone should have access to fresh food for healthy living.
Delta Dental of New Jersey and Connecticut would like to thank Susan Kalfaian for these insights. As you can see, by increasing access to healthy, fresh produce for those in need, America’s Grow-a-Row furthers the goal of good nutrition—giving the body (including the teeth) the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients required to live a healthy life with a healthy smile.
________________________________________
1 According to a post-season survey of our East Orange YMCA Free Farm Market clients in 2021, 89% of respondents said they were eating more fresh fruits and vegetables because of attending the Free Farm Market regularly. I should also mention that 67% of respondents indicated that they or someone in their household has been told by a doctor to eat healthier foods due to one or more of the following conditions: diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or heart disease
