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A proud Tracy Duffield of Duffield’s Farm congratulated a group of rising fourth-graders from all six of the Washington Township Public Schools’ elementary schools who gathered on the farm on July 11th to help harvest more than 6,000 pounds of green and yellow squash. The picking session was the culmination of the District’s annual “Student Farms Grow and Give” program which is coordinated by Duffield and District elementary supervisor Linda Thomas.
Representative Elyse Yerrapathruni from “Farmers Against Hunger,” a non-profit partnership through the New Jersey Agriculture Society, also was on hand to accept the donations of fresh produce. Her organization works with 40 to 50 farms in the state to donate homegrown fruits and vegetables to communities in need through soup kitchens and food banks.
After Duffield visits their classrooms as part of the district’s science curriculum, third-graders plant squash seeds in early May, transport the plants into the field in early June and harvest the healthy crop in July. The program began in 2001.
“This is the best squash ever,” Duffield said. “They are big and beautiful. You are all fantastic farmers, and we applaud you for your participation in this awesome service project. The squash that we collect will be handed out to many less fortunate people who do not have access to fresh produce.”
The students worked their way through the rows of planted squash, twisting and snapping off large squash from the plants, carrying them in tomato boxes and adding them to large bins that were then loaded on to the Farmers Against Hunger truck. The haul yielded four large bins.
“We are so grateful that Duffield’s Farm continues to partner with us for this program,” Thomas said. “This program shows our students what it is like to be a farmer, to appreciate where their food comes from and to help others.”
Student-Farmers Donate More Than 6,000 Pounds of Squash to “Farmers Against Hunger”
A proud Tracy Duffield of Duffield’s Farm congratulated a group of rising fourth-graders from all six of the Washington Township Public Schools’ elementary schools who gathered on the farm on July 11th to help harvest more than 6,000 pounds of green and yellow squash. The picking session was the culmination of the District’s annual “Student Farms Grow and Give” program which is coordinated by Duffield and District elementary supervisor Linda Thomas.
Representative Elyse Yerrapathruni from “Farmers Against Hunger,” a non-profit partnership through the New Jersey Agriculture Society, also was on hand to accept the donations of fresh produce. Her organization works with 40 to 50 farms in the state to donate homegrown fruits and vegetables to communities in need through soup kitchens and food banks.
After Duffield visits their classrooms as part of the district’s science curriculum, third-graders plant squash seeds in early May, transport the plants into the field in early June and harvest the healthy crop in July. The program began in 2001.
“This is the best squash ever,” Duffield said. “They are big and beautiful. You are all fantastic farmers, and we applaud you for your participation in this awesome service project. The squash that we collect will be handed out to many less fortunate people who do not have access to fresh produce.”
The students worked their way through the rows of planted squash, twisting and snapping off large squash from the plants, carrying them in tomato boxes and adding them to large bins that were then loaded on to the Farmers Against Hunger truck. The haul yielded four large bins.
“We are so grateful that Duffield’s Farm continues to partner with us for this program,” Thomas said. “This program shows our students what it is like to be a farmer, to appreciate where their food comes from and to help others.”