Leisure Farms played host to the West Nipissing, North Bay, and Mattawa Food Banks earlier in September in an attempt to fill the food banks up.
“Hopefully we will be filling up the food banks,” said Mitch DesChatelets, who works at Leisure Farms and opened up the vegetable patch to the food banks.
“We have enough that we can pick a bit. I did a bit with Mattawa before but wanted to make an annual event out of it. It’s not just that they get the vegetables out of it, but a fun day with the connection to the farm.”
Most of those on hand had no experience digging for potatoes but DesChatelets showed them how to dig for them with bare hands. He says the process of picking straight from the field helps people create a connection between the food, the land, and the growers.
DesChatelets normally supplies food to the food banks at the end of the season through the North Bay Farmers’ Market but felt this year that he had to step it up.