Photo courtesy of Derek Martin
By Makenna Hall, Managing Editor of Content
Susquehanna’s campus garden coordinators have overcome COVID-19 and accompanying restrictions this summer to continue donating 300 pounds of fresh produce to the community as the need for food donations has increased.
The Selinsgrove Regional Engagement Center (REC), Haven Ministries and Sunshine Corner have been the main recipients of Susquehanna’s produce this summer, receiving foods that have ranged from palm-sized spinach, green beans, peas and beats to an abundance of zucchinis, according to sustainability coordinator and garden overseer Derek Martin.
Two of the organizations that the garden has donated to in previous years were temporarily shut down because of the virus, leading Martin to donate to the aforementioned organizations because they were close, available and cover various demographics.
The produce aided the REC in providing food for individuals and families in need as COVID-19 restrictions developed in Selinsgrove and in surrounding towns.
Each Friday, the REC sets up a food pantry at a picnic table in town for anyone to visit and take what they need for the week, which will continue through September.
The majority of the REC’s donations come from the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, and according to REC president, Kelly Feiler, personal donations have been low since the start of the pandemic, so the fresh, organic food from Susquehanna’s garden has been welcomed.
Along with the 150 families the REC helped while the Selinsgrove Veterans of Foreign War (VFW) location was closed, local families needed support feeding their children that were now home from school and could not rely on school lunch services.
Because of the increase in need, the REC decided to provide a mobile food pantry service with the leftover food donations from the Friday food pantry. The school bus turned donation center takes 30-minute stops from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Fridays, stopping in Port Trevorton, Freeburg, Shamokin and other locations, reaching about 250 people, Feiler said.
Feiler noted that even with COVID-19 restrictions in place she still felt as if the REC was fostering a relationship with Susquehanna through these donations.
Junior Kali Rebuck, one of the three student garden coordinators this summer, shared a similar sentiment as the student in charge of bringing donations to the REC every Friday.
“Over the summer, the team at the [REC] has become more welcoming and familiar with me,” Rebuck said, “The group there is also very helpful and they come over to my car when I pull in and help me unload the produce that I brought for them that week.”
Another garden coordinator, sophomore Grant Rowe, also shared a positive learning experience from his first summer at the garden.
“The pandemic has shown me that people really need other people, now more than ever. By working at the garden, I have realized how far a little kindness can go and how powerful a little action can be,” Rowe said.
In order to continue these little actions, the three garden coordinators (Rebuck, Rowe and senior Molly Ingram) have had to follow proper health and safety guidelines, including using their own set of tools, respecting social distancing and not reusing donation materials. According to Martin, the coordinators have been relying on a stockpile of Charlie’s Coffeehouse ice cream containers to donate the food.
Nevertheless, the garden coordinators ensure that the produce is harvested and the weeds are plucked from the 50 raised beds, 45 canvas grow bags and the in-ground bed for growing corn.
The garden has harvested a large variety of vegetables this summer, and even more produce can be expected going into the fall, including cabbage, melons, pumpkins, potatoes and sweet potatoes, according to Martin.
Although the work can be hard with just the four people looking after the garden, Martin is committed to helping when he can with food insecurity in the community, as he is also a member of Susquehanna’s Food and Housing Insecurity Committee.
One of the committee’s initiatives is a food pantry, located in the old box office of Weber Chapel, that stays stocked for all students to access throughout the year.