Every week I find myself witnessing and participating in amazing acts of generosity, caring and well being for the land and people of Marin County. This week, thanks to Green Gulch Farm in Muir Beach, the Marin Organic School Lunch and Gleaning Program received more than 20 boxes of fresh beautiful, delicious and nutritious Rainbow Chard. After Green Gulch sold and distributed what they could of the high quality chard, the rest became gleaned food for our program. With nearly 30 years of Buddhist teachings and ecological gardening practices at Green Gulch, this chard was as good as it gets, destined to bring good health to anyone who enjoys it.
After loading the bountiful harvest on the Marin Organic truck, I delivered four boxes to three grateful and excited school chefs. As it was Thursday afternoon, the school chefs couldn’t take all 20 boxes so I distributed the remaining chard to two active local resource centers in Marin that serve food to low-income communities.
St. Vincent de Paul in central San Rafael took ten boxes (nearly 250 pounds!) of chard to incorporate into their menu. The St. Vincent de Paul Free Dining Room relies on a completely volunteer-driven program where neighbors provide neighbors with hot food, a place for respite and a listening heart. They serve all who enter the doors, 365 days of the year. http://www.vinnies.org
Meals of Marin happily welcomed the remainder of the gleaned goods. From their small kitchen in San Rafael, the Meals of Marin crew works to prepare and deliver appetizing, healthy, home-cooked meals to people with life threatening illnesses living in Marin County. In January 2009, they passed the 900,000-meal mark. Due to funding challenges, Meals of Marin is no longer open five days a week, but down to three. One hundred pounds of locally produced organic chard was a welcome addition to their menu this week and a wholesome option for the people they serve, whose health benefits greatly from eating such nutritious food. http://www.mealsofmarin.net
What a blessed land we have here in Marin. The daily efforts of our local farmers and their dedication to grow high quality food, when partnered with Marin Organic’s role in making it accessible to as many people as possible, is truly an amazing act of life and well being.
Chester Densmore
Marin Organic School Lunch and Gleaning Program
