Middlebury Community Care Coalition
Interning with the Middlebury Community Care Coalition (MCCC) offered me the perfect opportunity to explore sustainable farming practices while simultaneously working on a project for the community. I had hopes to learn more about gardening as well as how to teach people to use fresh vegetables as a means to improve their health. I did learn all that, and more.
I directed and coordinated a Farm-to-Table program at the Nash Farm in New Haven, Vermont. The purpose of Farm-to-Table is to grow fresh and local vegetables in the community and for the community. The MCCC provides daily community lunches and weekly community suppers for residents of Addison County. The meals provide an opportunity for people in need to receive a substantial and reliable source of nutrition, as well as create the space to foster a community of support. Fresh, organic food is abundant at the tables because of the volunteer help and the support from local farms. Through the work of Farm-to-Table, food insecure families are given direct access to the often-unaffordable produce.
For the Nash Farm, I focused on getting more volunteers involved. We needed more than the volunteers from the Congregational Church, as the gardens needed work immediately. When the harvest came, so did the conversations about meal preparation and serving. Although I was accustomed to the variety of vegetables and foods, for some the experience was a fresh exposure; ordinary vegetables to me seemed like foreign objects to others. I altered my thinking and the approaches I have with using food. We decided to put out several baskets each week at the community supper for people to use during the week. The response was incredibly positive; I intentionally brought more produce than I thought people would take, and it was all gone before the supper was finished!
Being a part of an organization that helps to incorporate fresh produce into the lives of people aren’t fortunate to afford them was an amazing experience. It’s incredible how the quality of food plays a role in improving health and livelihoods and it’s a shame that impoverished people struggle to access local produce.
The lessons I learned about gardening, forecasting vegetable harvests and planting processes, paired with lessons about being a part of an organization, coordinating volunteers, compromising and adjusting, made for a truly valuable experience.
Courtney Devoid is a member of the class of 2013.5.