Plenty Fundraiser (farm, food, and fun)

The days are long, but the weeks are short and Plenty will soon arrive. Plenty is the Rolling Harvest Food Rescue fund raising event designed to celebrate and highlight the local food harvest of local farmers (including my CSA farm Tinicum CSA).  The October 5^th event will also seek to raise money for Rolling Harvest.

You see, Rolling Harvest is doing very well in bringing fresh local produce to food pantries, hot meal sites, and other locations to benefit those in need and in meeting the demand as their supply allows. Each year of operation brings increased donations and distributions. Volunteers can be found doing whatever tasks need to be done. They will glean the fields when needed, pack boxes or crates with produce donated by our local farmers, pack their cars and vans, take inventory, make disbursement decisions, and deliver the produce to those in need.  

Deliveries to food pantries and hot meal sites clearly illustrate the need for fresh produce among the offerings. Most inventory is a collection of shelf-stable food products with some chilled and frozen food items. Frequently, these food pantries have two or three refrigerators for the dozens of families and individuals using their services. 

Rolling Harvest has begun to receive donations of sustainably raised, natural, antibiotic and hormone free meats from Doublebrook Farm in Hopewell, NJ and from Applegate Organic Meat. Applegate is donating these meats to the Bucks County Opportunity Council in partnership with Rolling Harvest who then distributes the packages to area food pantries. Yet, this donation is only a fraction of what Applegate is doing for Rolling Harvest. The family behind Applegate is hosting the October 5th fundraising event in Pipersville. With the donation of these highly perishable meats Rolling Harvest is in need of an appropriate transportation vehicle. Proceeds from the event will help purchase an appropriate vehicle.

Food is being provided by Gravity Hill Farm, None Such Farm Market, Blue Moon Acres, and Tinicum Farms CSA, and will be prepared by Christopher Hirsheimer and Melissa Hamilton who are the 2013 James Beard winners and are the creators of Canal House Cooking. In addition to fine food, there will be music and entertainment during the evening. To help support Rolling Harvest Food Rescue with a tax-deductible donation or to purchase the $65 tickets go to their website at www.RollingHarvest.org or contact them at 267-293-0085. Enjoy the evening and I will see you there.