Eastbayri.com

WARREN — Hundreds of pounds of produce have traveled from a local field to food banks throughout the East Bay area. Five rows, each 280 feet long, are filled with ripening vegetables in a field in Warren, and folks from all over the East Bay have been helping to get the tomatoes, eggplant, squashes and peppers onto the tables of local families in need.

The garden idea germinated with Warren resident Jan Martin. She asked David Frerichs, Warren town council president, if he might be able to plow a field for vegetables that could be donated to food banks in the area. Mr. Frerichs owns Frerichs Farm with his wife Barbara. Mr. Frerichs agreed, and had his workers plow and plant and do some cultivating in a field across the street from Frerichs Farm on Kinnicutt Avenue. The majority of the vegetable plants, which were put in at the end of June and early July, come from Frerichs Farm.

The field actually belongs to relatives of Mr. Frerichs, Richard and Sue Bettencourt. Mr. Frerichs said that field has been used for vegetables in other years, or for pasture, or hay.

“I’ve put a lot of cow manure on that land, so it’s very, very fertile.” he said.

Mr. Frerichs recently had foot surgery, and is directing his workers at the farm by driving around in a golf cart. He said he was happy to hear how successfully Ms. Martin was able to find volunteers to help with the project.

“There are so many hungry people. I’m grateful she’s been able to get the people to assist. I can’t now. She’s done a great job,” Mr. Frerichs said.

Jan Martin said she became aware of the need for fresh produce while volunteering.

“Last year I went to a food pantry in Providence, and people stood in line and waited three hours for fresh vegetables,” she said.

It inspired her to do what she could to help. Last year, Ms. Martin picked up car loads of hubbard squash donated from a local farmer, and delivered the large squashes to local food banks. This year, she spoke with Farris Maxwell from the Rhode Island Food Bank to get some idea of the guidelines they follow when distributing food, looked into where food could go, recruited some helpers and set up a picking schedule. The volunteers pick for several local food pantries.

Ms. Martin picks the vegetables and brings them to the St. Vincent De Paul food bank at St. Mary’s of the Bay Church in Warren. Anne O’Connell is the president of the St. Vincent De Paul Society at that church. Ms. O’Connell said she has seen the difference the fresh vegetables make when folks come for food.

“Oh my gosh, I’m pleased, but our recipients are overjoyed,” she said.

This year Ms. Martin is coordinating the pickers, so they will know what needs to be picked on any given day. Over a dozen people have volunteered, from several East Bay towns. She said the undertaking is on a larger scale than anything she has worked in before.

“I’m a gardener, not a farmer,” she said, adding that the transition has not been too difficult.

The list of other Warren residents who helped with the project include Kathleen O’Neil, Debbie DaSilva and Doug and Val Domina. The Dominas donated some vegetable plants. Ms. Martin said James MacDougall, from We Share Hope, introduced her to the Dominas.

On Thursday morning, four pickers were at the field; Ms. Martin, Judy Arruda of Bristol, and Rosie Wallis and Jane Ryan from Barrington, all picking tomatoes. Ms. Martin said they have to be on top of it with some vegetables.

“The tomatoes, you can’t turn your back on them, they ripen so quickly. You can’t trust the little suckers,” she said.

Occasionally, they’ll pick vegetables that are a little out of the norm; they have picked several eggplants with what looks like a long nose.

“We’ve got another one, eggplant Pinocchio,” Ms. Martin said while working at the field Thursday morning.

The pickers have learned what’s best to wear in the field.

“The other day – this is lowland – we picked three tomatoes and went home. It was muck. I didn’t have these boots,” Ms. Wallis said, referring to the fisherman type boots on her feet on Thursday. “I was wearing clogs and one came right off.”

Ms. Ryan and Ms. Wallis both volunteer at Tap-In in Barrington. The field has allowed Tap-In to expand what they are able to give away, which is usually staples without a great deal of variety.

“It’s all canned goods and pasta. This opportunity came up, and this is fantastic. This is available to anyone who comes and it seems very well received. I think people who need a little extra help are very happy to get this,” Ms. Ryan said.