Charleston Volunteer Business Spotlight: Fields to Families – Feeding the Lowcountry, one acre at a time

What is Fields to Families?

Mission

Fields to Families serves those experiencing food insecurity in the Lowcountry by providing access to fresh produce collected from local farms, farmers markets, and their Moncks Corner garden.

Since 2006, each year our volunteers have distributed an average of 65,000 pounds of free, local produce.

Field to Families’ goal is to alleviate hunger in the Tri-County area by harvesting, collecting, growing, and distributing local produce to a network of service agencies and programs.

Grow

Established in 2011, Fields to Familes’ garden is located in Moncks Corner, thanks to a generous donor. The garden continues to grow each year. The format is both raised beds, which allows for easy maintenance of weeds and less potential damage with weather elements, and a newly tilled area to increase crop yield. Plans for shelter and greenhouse are underway!

Harvest

Harvesting occurs at farms in the Lowcountry. Farmers communicate when there is an excess in fields and volunteers come out to glean/harvest. There are a variety of reasons that leftover produce does not get harvested. Sometimes produce is left behind because it has developed cosmetic blemishes or it has grown too large for its packaging. Other reasons include overproduction and dwindling market price.

According to the USDA, an estimated 25 – 30 percent of all food crops are left in the fields after harvest. When Fields to Families was established in 2006, they began to “rescue” these fruits and vegetables from being plowed under, reducing food waste and lowering the carbon footprint.

Collect

Generous farmers and local farmers markets help Fields to Families’ reach poundage goals from fresh produce donations. Bins are distributed at markets and poundage from each farmer is tallied. Volunteers then donate to our network of partners

Distribute

We Deliver. To carry out their mission, they grow, harvest, collect, and distribute to local partners. Food is grown at their garden in Moncks Corner, which has tripled output in the last two years. Farmers communicate when there is an excess in fields and volunteers come out to glean/harvest.

How can I help?

• Click Here to Learn about Volunteer Opportunities for Adults and Children
• Community Partnership – Click if you need produce or want to volunteer some of your crop
• Click to contact
• Click to Donate