HANOVER, JUNE 5, 2023 – The South Shore YMCA, in partnership with Massachusetts Farm to School, hosted representatives from the Department of Early and Secondary Education and the Department of Early Education and Care at a celebratory farm-to-school event at the South Shore YMCA Family Farm at 1075 Washington Street in Hanover.
The South Shore YMCA Family Farm, created in 2017 from an old commercial lot on Route 53, features an acre of arable soil and a dozen raised garden beds that serve as teaching gardens for young students. In 2020, thanks to a Massachusetts Food Security Infrastructure Grant, the Farm expanded to include a barn, greenhouse, beehives, shade structure, and commercial refrigerator. All food grown at the Farm is delivered to local food pantries.
“We’re proud, as a YMCA, to support our community in the fight against food insecurity,” said Paul Gorman, President and CEO of the South Shore YMCA who welcomed guests from participating organizations and elected officials, including State Representative David DeCoste and Massachusetts State Senator Walter Timilty.
“We’re growing fresh produce here in Hanover, at our Camp Burgess Farm in Sandwich and at our Germantown Neighborhood Center in Quincy, where we operate our food pantry. At each location we’re ensuring that the next generations of Massachusetts residents understand the value of growing their own produce.”
Thanks to a recent MA FRESH grant from Mass Farm to School, the Y taught 87 early learning educators the basics of farm-to-school education, equipping them with curricula, materials, and even gardening tools to bring back to their classrooms in Hanover, Norwell, and Quincy. Early education students in all three locations regularly dig into the soil to plant, water, and weed gardens. Summer campers at Camp Gordon Clark in Hanover support the Farm through July and August, as resident campers do at Camp Burgess in Sandwich each summer.
“Our Farm is an extension of our classrooms,” said Kristine Swan, Vice President of Youth Development for the South Shore YMCA. “Each week they’re learning the importance of gardens and farms, and how fresh vegetables and fruits can contribute to good health. Visiting the Farm is a highlight of their week.” Students from the South Shore YMCA Early Learning Center in Hanover were on hand to display their knowledge and enthusiasm during the event.
“We have been working statewide to bring more local food into school meals and support food education since 2005,” said Simca Horwitz, Co-Director of Massachusetts Farm to School. “What is so great about this grant program is that it starts with these earliest learners.”
“When you bring young students out here to learn this way, this is magical,” said Senator Walter Timilty upon touring the farm. “Kids light up when they are able to have this kind of project-based learning.”
Rob Leshin, Director of Food and Nutrition Programs at the Department of Early and Secondary Education, emphasized the importance of building strong habits and a palate for healthy, locally grown foods from a young age through this kind of funding. “The more you can expose kids, regardless of socioeconomic background or where they live, to where food comes from, and educating them on farming and Massachusetts agriculture through hands-on learning, that’s where this grant comes in.”
For Dan Berry, Branch Executive of the Emilson YMCA, the farm-to-school experience fits perfectly with the Y’s mission. “In the summertime, our campers take charge of important tasks. Throughout the growing season, we’re supported by volunteers from individuals to corporate teams, scout troops, and more.”
The event closed with a farm-to-table lunch prepared by The Chef’s Table of Marshfield. “When our vegetables leave this farm, those that don’t end up in the preschool go to food pantries, including our Germantown Neighborhood Center food pantry, where they often become snacks for our afterschool students,” said Gorman. “Our campers at Camp Burgess in Sandwich harvest food to go directly into our dining halls each summer. We believe in the power of farm-to-school education.”
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About the South Shore YMCA
The South Shore YMCA is a leading charitable organization dedicated to strengthening community through programs that promote healthy spirit, mind, and body. Serving the communities of Quincy, Randolph, Holbrook, Weymouth, Braintree, Milton, Hingham, Hull, Cohasset, Scituate, Norwell, Hanover and beyond, the South Shore Y provides the opportunity to grow, learn, and thrive through its services and programs. Financial Assistance is a Y community benefit available to all families in need, applicable to all Y programs and services. To learn more about the South Shore YMCA, visit www.ssymca.org. The South Shore YMCA. The Better You Belongs Here.
