We recently reached out to Marc Grossman, who leases land from The Farm At Our House to discuss how he became a donor in the Community Food Rescue network and how his business started. See below to learn more about our interview with Marc. How was your farm founded/what is its origin story? “In 2007 as a side hustle to hisContinue Reading
This year has been an active one in the world of Farm to Food Bank! We worked with 31 Montgomery County Farms this past year to direct 153,277 lbs. of produce to 54 Food Assistance Providers. We are so excited about the work we have been able to accomplish together, and as we look forwardContinue Reading
The holidays are the season of giving; giving love and giving thanks. The holidays are also about helping those in need. Read below to hear about one such giving story. We reached out to our Community Food Rescue network to see if any of our donors had extra or special donations they could post to their ChowMatch accountContinue Reading
Exciting news in the Farm to Food Bank world! Manna Food Center has received funding from the Healthcare Initiative Foundation to pilot Contract Growing with farmers in Montgomery County. This new relationship builds upon our current Farm to Food Bank program , which purchases local produce, meat and eggs from 35 farms in Montgomery County and donates the food to our Community FoodContinue Reading
Did you know that the United States is the only place that grows crops from all over the world? That means we have the ability to grow culturally diverse produce to cater to the various communities that live here. Back in January of this year, farmers from throughout Montgomery County participated in the Mini MoCoContinue Reading
High-schooler Benjamin Shoykhet promoted the event on the US Chess Federation’s website. “Join us for an afternoon of outdoor fun among the chickens, ducks, geese, and guinea fowl as we play chess to help reduce food insecurity in Montgomery County, Maryland.” While playing chess on a farm may seem a bit strange, for this kidContinue Reading
By: Annarose Kennedy, CFR coordinator Collards, chard, kale, oh my! As warm weather and longer days are upon us, I have had the wonderful opportunity to start visiting the various farms in the County’s Farm to Foodbank program, administered by Manna Food Center’s Community Food Rescue (CFR) . As CFR’s coordinator taking the lead on Farm to Foodbank, it is so excitingContinue Reading
By Cheryl Kollin, CFR program director I was scanning the Washington Post last fall and read with great interest the article, “ Extreme weather and climate this summer challenged Mid-Atlantic farmers ”. The story featured Tom Farquhar of Sandy Spring Gardens , one of Montgomery County’s Farm to Food Bank farmers. I asked Tom how the article came about. He told me, “I contacted the Post afterContinue Reading
“The pandemic brought to light how fragile our [local food] supply system is,” notes Nazirahk Amen, Purple Mountain Organics farmer, who sees how supporting our local food system is vital to our community’s health and well-being. That’s why he participates in the Montgomery County Farm to Food Bank (F2FB) program . The program — a collaboration between Manna Food Center , Montgomery County Food Council , and the Montgomery County Office of Agriculture — started in summer 2020,Continue Reading
The Montgomery County Farm to Food Bank program buys local, fresh, and nutritious produce, meat and eggs for our neighbors who experience hunger. Thanks to a grant from Montgomery County and the Greater Washington Community Foundation , the program provides a much-needed financial boost to local farmers, especially in the wake of COVID-19. Of the 23 dedicated farmers who have joined the Farm to Food BankContinue Reading