Farmers Team Up With Rutgers-Camden To Feed The Poor

By David Madden

CAMDEN, N.J., (CBS) -- A program that put fresh garden veggies into the hands of poor people in a pair of Camden neighborhoods worked out so well, officials are looking to expand it in the coming year.

The group Farmers Against Hunger has been delivering excess produce to several Camden organizations for the past decade. This year, they teamed up with the Rutgers-Camden School of Nursing to deliver over 22,000 pounds of food to the Ablett and Branch villages of town.

Hopes are to expand that partnership come next spring.

Assistant Professor Kathy Jackson told KYW Newsradio her hope is to "possibly having some nutrition classes and some cooking classes that really gives people ideas and really how to use that fresh produce to its best extent."

They also need help in the new year in the form of volunteers who would be willing to go to local farms and glean the excess produce for distribution to Camden and elsewhere.

As for the farmers, they're looking to upgrade the operation a bit, accord to produce coordinator Brian Strumfels.
"We're also doing a fundraiser now to get a new truck because it's kind of our life blood," he said. "If we have a new truck we can pick up more deliveries."

You can search Farmers Against Hunger on Facebook to see how you can assist one way or another.