SHREWSBURY – A Shrewsbury mutual aid station recently received a shipment of fresh, organic vegetables from… jail?
On Aug. 14, Sheriff Lew Evangelidis and staff from the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office visited the Community Refrigerator outside of the Shrewsbury Senior Center to donate 10 crates of fresh vegetables, including corn, tomatoes, summer squash, zucchini, eggplant and more. The sheriff’s office estimates that each crate weighed between 40 and 60 pounds.
“To have the ability to have the truck pull up with crates of fresh, organic produce, it’s really special,” Evangelidis told the Community Advocate. “When we left, the refrigerator was so stuffed full that we weren’t able to close the door at first. We left some at the shelving next door — mainly tomatoes and other heat-resistant crops. Then we walked into the Senior Center to distribute more. We had people literally lined up as we were filling the fridge, thanking us for the beautiful produce.”
The organic produce was grown at an 18-acre farm at the Worcester County Jail and House of Correction in West Boylston. The program, which was restored by Evangelidis upon his election to office in 2010, started on a five-acre lot and has grown ever since. At the jail, roughly 12 inmates participate in a voluntary The organic produce was grown at an 18-acre farm at program and tend to the farm.
The program is a “win, win, win,” said Evangelidis, because it helps the inmates develop real-world skills and get outdoors, produces food to feed the jail population, and leads to donations of fresh vegetables to the broader community.
Ordinarily, the farm produces 60,000 pounds of vegetables per year, or roughly 500 pounds per day. But this year, the farm has experienced its most bountiful harvest yet, reeling in 1,500 pounds per day. With all the extra food, the office has been able to donate to every town in the county, including Grafton, Westborough, and Southborough.
And the fresh vegetables — no matter the quantity — go quickly. The office checked the Shrewsbury Community Refrigerator after several hours and all the food was gone.
“It makes you realize that there’s a need out there. It feels so good to know you’re helping meet that need. This is organic food. This isn’t canned goods or things that people are used to getting. To be a sheriff involved in an organic farm, to feed the community great, healthy, organic produce, it’s really rewarding. And I don’t just mean for me, that’s for all of us, the team at the jail, the inmates. It’s really special,” said Evangelidis.
Evan Walsh – Community Advocate
https://www.communityadvocate.com/2024/08/31/worcester-county-sheriffs-bountiful-harvest-helps-feed-shrewsbury/
