Marion Institute

08/22/2026

🍅 Tomato season is in full swing—and we need your help keeping up!

Our farm partners are growing an abundance of beautiful tomatoes, and our Fields to Families volunteers help make sure that fresh food reaches neighbors who can use it.

A big thank you to Sharing the Harvest Community Farm at the Dartmouth YMCA and Freed Seed Federation for sharing their harvest, and to Shepherd’s Pantry in Acushnet and Angels Anonymous in Fall River for getting these tomatoes out into the community. 💚

Volunteer with Fields to Families and help us glean, rescue, and share fresh, locally grown food throughout Southeastern Massachusetts.

🍅 The tomatoes are ready—are you?

Sign up to volunteer on marioninstitute,org.

08/21/2026

Our Frogfoot Farm and Fields to Families volunteers help grow, glean, harvest, and share fresh, healthy food with our local neighbors in need—and there are plenty of opportunities coming up to join us!

🍅 Help & Harvest at Frogfoot Farm in Wareham
🌽 Glean sweet corn, tomatoes, and more from local farm partners
💚 Help strengthen nutrition security and our local food relief network

Whether you have a few hours to give or want to volunteer regularly, every set of hands makes a difference.

Volunteer with us! Register on marioninstitute.org.

08/20/2026

🍅 233 pounds of fresh produce. One stronger community.

Thanks to our partners at Sharing the Harvest Community Farm in Dartmouth and Freedom Food Farm in Raynham, 233 pounds of fresh, locally grown produce was donated to the Dorn Davies Senior Center in Brockton and Bridgewater State University, helping bring healthy food to our neighbors in need.

Want to be part of the impact? Join us at Frogfoot Farm or for an upcoming Fields to Families glean!

Upcoming Fields to Families opportunities:
🍅 Aug. 24 – Dartmouth
🌽 Aug. 28 – Dartmouth & Plympton
🥕 Aug. 29 – Canton

Sign up and view all of our upcoming farm-to-food relief opportunities on marioninstitute.org to help strengthen nutrition security—one harvest at a time.

08/18/2026

08/17/2026

🎉 Secure your tickets by becoming a Boogie at the Bog sponsor!

Every sponsorship helps grow, harvest, recover, and share fresh, locally grown food with neighbors experiencing food insecurity while strengthening our regional food system.

A huge thank you to our incredible sponsors (so far!) 💛 We'd love to welcome more community partners to this unforgettable evening.

Learn more at marioninstitute.org.

PS - individual tickets go live on Tuesday, September 8th, set your ⏰!

08/16/2026

Join us for the next Southcoast Food Policy Council Quarterly Meeting on Tuesday, August 18, from 12:00–1:00 p.m.

Learn about the progress being made to strengthen our regional food system, hear updates from the Community Advisory Board and working groups, discover opportunities to get involved, and connect with others working to improve food access, local agriculture, and food policy across Southeastern MA.

Whether you're a farmer, fisher, food business, nonprofit, policymaker, educator, or community member, your voice matters.

🔗 Register today at marioninstitute.org

08/15/2026

Strong partnerships create stronger food systems.

This week, we welcomed state legislators to Frogfoot Farm for a legislative luncheon made possible through our partnership with A.D. Makepeace Company. Together, we shared how the Marion Institute's four interconnected programs are working to strengthen our regional food system—from farm-to-food relief and food literacy to policy and advocacy.

We also took a deeper dive into our regional CARAT initiative and the 2026 Food System Assessment, which will be released later this year and help guide future efforts to improve food access, support local agriculture, and build a more resilient food system.

A special thank you to Senator Kelly Dooner, Representative Norman Orrall, Representative Mark Sylvia, Representative Lisa Field, Representative Steve Ouellette, and Representative Michelle Badger for taking the time to visit Frogfoot Farm, learn more about our work, and engage in meaningful conversations about the future of our regional food system.

We're also grateful to our valued partner, A.D. Makepeace Company, whose continued partnership helps make conversations like these—and the work happening at Frogfoot Farm—possible.

Learn more about our work at marioninstitute.org.

08/14/2026

🌱 1,960 pounds and growing!

This growing season, Grow Education gardens have produced 1,960 pounds of fresh produce across schools throughout the South Coast.

Every tomato, beet, cucumber, and bunch of kale represents more than a harvest—it represents hands-on learning, healthy habits, and a stronger connection to local food systems. Throughout the school year, students help plant, care for, and learn from these gardens, while the produce is shared through classroom taste tests and donated to community members.

Together, we're growing healthier communities—one garden at a time.

Learn more about Grow Education here: https://www.marioninstitute.org/programs/grow-education/

08/13/2026

Thanks to our dedicated volunteers and generous farm partners, 210 pounds of tomatoes—a combination of freshly gleaned and recovered surplus—were delivered to Sacred Heart Food Pantry in Middleborough.

The sweet corn harvest was just as impressive! Our volunteers harvested 660 ears at Sauchuk Farm in Plympton, and another 450 ears were recovered from Scott’s farmstand, bringing the total to more than 1,100 ears (over 1,000 pounds!) of fresh corn.

The corn was shared with Damien’s Food Pantry in Wareham, Shepherd’s Pantry in Acushnet, and Christ Church Parish Food Pantry in Plymouth, helping connect fresh, local food with neighbors who need it most.

08/12/2026

🫐 One last blueberry gleaning of the season!

Join our Fields to Families Program Manager, Sarah tomorrow (8/12) from 5–7 p.m. for our final blueberry gleaning in Fairhaven, MA. This isn't just a chance to pick blueberries—it's an opportunity to help ensure fresh, locally grown fruit reaches our neighbors experiencing food insecurity.

Spend a beautiful summer evening outdoors, connect with your community, and leave knowing your time made a real difference.

Reserve your spot today https://www.marioninstitute.org/programs/volunteer/