
As our field trials reach the end of the season, and all the crop data has been collected, OSA opens our farm to share the fruits of our research with the community, quite literally.
On October 30, a dozen volunteers joined OSA staff members in our fields at Finnriver Farm & Cidery to “Glean and Clean,” a program to harvest the last of our field crops and donate them to food programs that serve some of our neighbors in need. Several hundred pounds of carrots were dug, cleaned, and boxed for delivery to the Food Banks in Quilcene, Brinnon, Chimacum, and Port Townsend. Others went to the local hospital and school lunch programs.
When the harvest of a research crop coincides with a need in our community, we do our best to deliver. This month, OSA is donating cabbage, beets, and carrots to Eat Local First, an event that connects farmers to chefs, processors, and others in our regional food system.
All of us at OSA’s headquarters on the Olympic Peninsula are grateful for the support we receive from our community, and are happy to share the bounty of our research field with friends and neighbors. Thanks to all for a glorious growing season!