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| Paul Harlow - photo courtesy of VT Foodbank |
This great post from the Vermont Foodbank features Paul Harlow, the farmer behind Harlow Farm and Westminister Organics. He is also a recipient of a loan from the Vermont Farm Fund and we are so proud that we could be a part of his recovery after Tropical Storm Irene.
Harlow Farm: Sharing the Harvest
For nearly a century, the 150-acre Harlow Farm in Westminster, Vermont, has produced healthy, nutritious food for both Vermonters and our neighbors throughout New England. The farm’s commitment and benefit to the Vermont community continues to spread as one of the largest donors of fresh local produce to the Vermont Foodbank.
In any given year, Harlow Farm can donate as much as 56,000 pounds of produce through the Foodbank’s Gleaning Program. The farm plays a significant role in helping the Foodbank grow our network of volunteer support and expand our ability to distribute more fresh, local produce throughout the state.
Paul Harlow is a third generation farmer. His grandfather purchased the farm in 1917 and in 1965 the family converted the farm from dairy to vegetables. As one of the largest organic vegetable farmers in New England, Paul donates lettuce, kale, collards, carrots, beets, peppers, broccoli, cabbage, summer squash, zucchini, winter squash, pumpkins, and more.
“The quality and quantity of produce that Harlow Farm donates is exceptional,” says Vermont Foodbank Program Manager Michelle Wallace. (See “Insight Look: Program Manager.”) “Paul has been incredibly generous to the Foodbank, entrusting us to drive in his fields and bring volunteers twice a week to harvest excess produce. He offers more food than we have the staff and volunteer power to gather. With more volunteer help, we could be gleaning two to three times more food.”
