When people think of food insecurity, they often imagine empty shelves. In reality, one of the biggest challenges facing food pantries isn’t simply having enough food—it’s having enough fresh, nutritious food.
Fruits, vegetables, dairy, and protein are among the hardest foods for food pantries to consistently provide. They’re also some of the most important building blocks of a healthy diet. That’s why the Marion Institute created Fields to Families—to recover fresh, locally grown food and connect it with neighbors who need it most.
This month, that mission came to life through a new partnership with Under the Sun Farm in Dighton, Massachusetts.
Farmer Milton Teixeira found himself with a bumper crop of cucumbers. More than 370 pounds had filled his cooler, leaving little room for the next harvest coming out of the field. The cucumbers were fresh, healthy, and ready to eat—they simply needed somewhere to go.
That’s where Fields to Families stepped in.
Within the same day, the cucumbers were delivered to Angels Anonymous in Fall River, where volunteers were preparing for their monthly drive-thru food pantry. That week, fresh produce was in short supply. Aside from green peppers, there were few fresh vegetables available for families visiting the pantry.
Together with summer squash, zucchini, and raspberries harvested from Sharing the Harvest Community Farm at the Dartmouth YMCA, the cucumbers helped provide families with an abundance of fresh, local, and seasonal produce.
For many households, access to fresh fruits and vegetables isn’t a convenience—it’s a luxury. According to the Greater Boston Food Bank and Mass General Brigham’s 2025 Massachusetts Food Access Report, nearly one in two households in Bristol County experiences food insecurity, underscoring just how important partnerships like these are to building a healthier, more resilient regional food system.
Across the country, food banks and pantries are working hard to provide more nutritious options, but fresh produce, dairy, and protein remain some of the most difficult foods to source because they’re highly perishable and rely on strong partnerships with local farmers and producers.
Every glean, every donation, and every farm partnership helps bridge that gap.
We’re proud to welcome Under the Sun Farm as one of our newest farm partners and grateful to Farmer Milton Teixeira for ensuring this harvest nourished families instead of going to waste.
This is exactly what Fields to Families was created to do: connect local farms with local food relief organizations so fresh, healthy food reaches our neighbors when they need it most.
Together, we’re strengthening our local food system—one harvest at a time.
Why Fields to Families Matters
- 370+ pounds of cucumbers rescued from one farm
- Delivered alongside fresh squash, zucchini, and raspberries
- New partnership with Under the Sun Farm
- Distributed through Angels Anonymous’s monthly drive-thru pantry
- Helping address the reality that 1 in 2 Bristol County residents experiences food insecurity
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