September 2025 Newsletter

We have exciting milestones to share with you this month! In our first official season, the Marion Institute’s Frogfoot Farm and Fields to Families programs have exceeded our goal of harvesting, gleaning, and donating 10,000 lbs. of fresh fruits and vegetables to families in need across Southeastern MA.

Grow Education is back to school and has officially expanded into Old Hammondtown School in Mattapoisett and Rochester Memorial School. Our Southcoast Food Policy Council is preparing for the 2025 Food Summit, and we’re thrilled to announce that our online auction in support of Frogfoot Farm launches this week!

Scroll below to save upcoming dates and catch up on what’s happening across all our programs.

A coalition advancing regional food security through equity and sustainable systems

2025 Food Summit: Strengthening Aquaculture Through Coastal Wastewater Advocacy

Mark your calendar for the 2025 Food Summit on October 3rd at UMass Dartmouth’s SMAST – East Building, where we’ll tackle a pressing issue for the Southcoast: the impact of wastewater infrastructure on aquaculture and food security. Local lawmakers, shell fishermen, and community leaders will come together to discuss proposed legislation addressing Combined Sewer Outflows (CSOs) and explore solutions to protect coastal waters, strengthen aquaculture, and secure the future of sustainable seafood.

Learn more about the Food Summit here.

HARVESTING SURPLUS  |  SHARING ABUNDANCE  |  STRENGTHENING COMMUNITY

Harvesting surplus crops, feeding neighbors, and building community across Southeastern Massachusetts

Fields to Families Update

This season, Fields to Families has gleaned and donated over 4,000 lbs of fresh produce to nine local food pantries, ensuring that healthy, local food reaches neighbors who need it most. Together with our dedicated volunteers, we’ve invested 99 hours in the fields at local farms, turning hard work into nourishment for our community.

We’re deeply grateful to our volunteers for their time and energy, and to our community sponsors—AAA, Rockland Trust, and United Way of Greater Plymouth County—for lending their hands through days of service. Your partnership is helping us grow a stronger, more equitable food system.

Thanks to Bristol County Savings Bank and the Massachusetts Society for Promoting Agriculture for their generous support in helping us launch this important program!

Learn More // Volunteer

Farming and harvesting fresh produce to feed our neighbors in need

Bountiful Harvests at Frogfoot Farm

This month, Frogfoot Farm harvested 1,507 lbs of fresh produce, welcomed 14 new volunteers, and donated over 16 different crops to local food pantries. To date, we’ve contributed more than 9,500 lbs of healthy, local food to families across Southeastern MA this year.

A heartfelt thank-you to our community partners—Fuchs-Nye, Chef’s Warehouse, A.D. Makepeace, Premier Foods, and United Way of Greater New Bedford—whose service days brought 19 volunteers and 90 hours of support. Together, we’re feeding neighbors and strengthening our regional food system.

Learn More // Volunteer at Frogfoot Farm Here

Got a ticket? No ticket? No problem! You can still support Frogfoot Farm through our extraordinary online auctions coming soon!

We’re raising funds for a refrigerated van or as we like to call it, our “Harvest Hopper” to help deliver fresh, local produce to our community. Bid on our unique items—or simply make a donation to make an impact!

Farm-to-school program promoting health, sustainability, equity, and ecological literacy

School is Back in Session for Grow Education!

Our Grow Education Farm-to-School program has been hard at work preparing garden beds across 24 schools in 6 districts—including our newest partners, Rochester Memorial and Old Hammondtown School in Mattapoisett. Thank you to our friends at First Citizens FCU for helping to make this happen!

This summer, thanks to the support of summer school students, district staff, and community partners, we kept our school gardens thriving. Fresh produce was harvested and shared through summer programs, local food pantries, and with summer students. We also launched our very first field trips to Frogfoot Farm, where Wareham’s CARE program students rolled up their sleeves to help harvest food for neighbors in need—collecting 90 pounds of beets!

Experiences like these show students the power of giving back. Research shows that youth who volunteer are more likely to continue community service into adulthood, build stronger leadership skills, and feel a greater sense of belonging. By connecting farm work with community impact, we’re helping young people see that their efforts make a real difference.

These vibrant outdoor classrooms don’t just grow vegetables—they nurture hands-on learning that connects science, health, and the environment.

As we welcome students back this fall, Grow Education continues to plant the seeds for healthier schools, stronger communities, and a deeper understanding of where our food comes from.

Learn More about Grow Education and How to Support Here

Cooks for Community – Pilot Program

Southcoast Health & Marion Institute Launch “Cooks for Community”

We’re thrilled to share that the Cooks for Community pilot program is officially underway! In partnership with Southcoast Health, Frogfoot Farm, and local chef Danny Minkle, the program prepares and distributes 50 nutritious, locally sourced meals each week to residents who are unhoused or unable to cook for themselves—totaling 1,000 meals by year’s end.

By bringing together farmers, chefs, and healthcare partners, this initiative highlights the power of collaboration to strengthen food security and community health across the Southcoast.

Read Full Press Release Here