Friends of Aroostook begins new season of veggie picking

Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Joseph Cyr
HAND PICKED — Rebekah Holmes of the Houlton Wesleyan Church spends Saturday morning picking peas for the Friends of Aroostook group. The non-profit organization has been helping feed the needy for the past four years.
By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
    HODGDON — Saturday morning was a busy time for veggie pickers supporting the Friends of Aroostook initiative. More than 30 hand-pickers were in the field, located off the Hodgdon Mills Road, picking peas under a hot summer sun for a hours, marking the first day of harvesting.
    Now in its fourth year, the Friends of Aroostook initiative continues its efforts to provide fresh vegetables to those in need in Aroostook County. The non-profit group began modestly in 2008, planting 3,600 ears of corn.
    In 2009, more than 20,000 pounds of vegetables, including peas, green beans, corn, cucumbers, carrots, zucchini, summer and winter squash and potatoes were distributed throughout Aroostook County.
    Last year, the group planted eight acres of naturally-raised vegetables and grew two acres of organic vegetables, which combined to provide 49,000 pounds of fresh food to the “Meals on Wheels” program, food pantries, soup kitchens and homeless shelters in the County. An additional 25,000 pounds of vegetables were donated to local consumers, provided they harvested the veggies themselves.
    The group’s goals for 2011 are even loftier, including the possibility of having a “pick-your-own” session for consumers who would pay a small fee each container harvested. That effort, Flewelling said, depends largely on how the crops come since supplying food to the needy will still take top priority.
    Since all of their vegetables are hand-picked, harvesting so many acres can be a long, tedious process. Harvesting sessions usually last about four hours, and can sometimes be held under hot conditions, as was the case this past Saturday when members of the Houlton Wesleyan Church and the Houlton Band of Malisseets were in the field picking peas. Individuals who come to the FOA farm to pick for their respective food pantry or shelter are also able to take a small parcel home with them for their hard work.
Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Joseph Cyr
PEA-PICKING — Dave Rowe of the Houlton Wesleyan Church searches for pea pods to pluck Saturday morning.
    “What we are trying to do is work toward becoming consumer-based,” Flewelling said. “Our ultimate goal is we want consumers or pantry volunteers harvesting the vegetables for their needs or their pantries’ needs.”
    In 2010, the St. Mary’s Food Pantry in Houlton received a large portion of fresh veggies, thanks to the efforts of one husband and wife couple. While those efforts are surely appreciated, Flewelling said he would like to see the beneficiaries — those individuals who go to food pantries and soup kitchens — coming out to the field to pick for themselves.
    “What we really want to see are those people who are receiving the fresh veggies to be the ones picking them,” Flewelling said. “That way it’s not a hand-out. It’s a hand-up. In reality, those are the ones that have the time to do it.”
    Flewelling said there is a misconception among local farmers who feel that FOA might be costing them money in terms of sales of potatoes.
    “There are a few local growers who feel that we are intruding on their market,” he said. “That’s just not the case. The reality is, the people we are giving food to don’t have the funds to pay for the vegetables. They wouldn’t be stopping at vegetable stands because they don’t have the money. Our program looks to fill voids by providing fresh veggies to those that would otherwise have none.”
    The Friends of Aroostook initiative was formed under the umbrella of the Empowering Life Ministries, as a way to help those with emotional and physical needs. Thanks to a grant, the group was able to purchase a small amount of vegetable seeds, while land was donated for the project and the project was off and running.
    Currently, Friends of Aroostook has 18 acres planted with vegetables.
    The group also operates Operation Wood Heat, providing firewood to those in need. The Salvation Army identifies those individuals to receive firewood assistance in the winter, Flewelling said. In 2008, the group cut 16 cords of tree-length firewood for locals who would otherwise have little to no heat; in 2009, 20 cords of processed firewood reached needy families; and in 2010, 25 cords of wood were harvested.
    For more information about Friends of Aroostook, visit www.friendsofaroostook.org or call Flewelling at 694-8131.