Endeavor Health has partnered with The Conservation Foundation through Endeavor Health’s Community Investment Fund (CIF).
In this partnership, Endeavor Heath supports the Green Earth Harvest Program Farm to Pantry initiative. The CIF grant has helped The Conservation Foundation expand access to fresh, healthy organic produce for food pantries through the purchase of new farm equipment to bolster team efficiency and effectiveness, increasing crop yields.
“The Endeavor Health partnership is truly transformational for our farm,” said Sheryl Fasone, business manager for Green Earth Harvest.
The farmers at McDonald Farm are growing food specifically for area food pantries, in addition to its crop for CSA subscribers. With the new equipment, they will go from producing 5,000 pounds to more than 24,000 pounds of food each year for community members in need.
“We absolutely love this program, we love this collaboration with the Green Earth Harvest Program,” said Carol Frank, a board member for the Elmhurst-Yorkfield Food Pantry. “One of our goals at the food pantry is to provide the healthiest food possible to our clients. That’s always been a goal. And clients always request fruits and vegetables.”
McDonald Farm, the only organic farm in the Naperville area, includes 40 acres producing more than 90 different kinds of vegetables.
“We’re an organic certified farm, so we grow in concert with nature and taking care of the soil and taking care of the land, benefitting our pollinators,” Jennifer Hammer, vice president of land and watershed protection for The Conservation Foundation. “All of that on the farm ties into our mission of The Conservation Foundation to preserve and protect land.”
The new equipment has allowed the farm staff to take advantage of days with good weather, allowing them to grow more food, take better care of the soil and ultimately get more food into the hands of people who need it.
“It was a big sigh of relief in many ways when we got the phone call to tell us that we received this grant funding because literally that week before our tractor was stuck here in the barn because the transmission had gone out on it,” Hammer said.
“I feel that everybody knows intrinsically why this work is important, but they might not make the connection,” said Russell Cerocke, farm manager with The Conservation Foundation. “There’s just so many things going on that can feel heavy, so by having this place here, that gives people a place to look for hope, you know? Something to see, and say, ‘Look at these people They’re growing healthy food, they’re taking care of the land that they’re on and they all love what they’re doing.’”
Learn more about McDonald Farm and The Conservation Foundation.
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