Locally sourced farm fresh produce and recent property acquisition
Laurel Advocacy and Referral Services, Inc. (LARS) is rolling out several new programs and taking advantage of grant-supported partnerships to continue to meet the needs of more Laurelites in more ways than ever before, including additions to enhance its food pantry access and offerings, an expanded physical footprint, and adding housing units.
The first delivery of “LARS on the Go” took place on April 25. This is a new mobile food pantry and case management program to support seniors living in low-income senior housing in the area. The program started with the Park View at Laurel community.
This effort supports seniors in need who are unable to travel to the LARS food pantry. The initial delivery supported about 25 clients, according to Director of Client Services Mark Huffman, who anticipates the number will rise to 100 seniors being served by the mobile pantry.
Huffman noted that LARS is looking at the fourth Thursday of every month for the deliveries. Between deliveries, case managers will visit the senior communities to enroll additional interested seniors. The program will include both the Park View at Laurel and Park View at Emerson communities initially and may expand further in the future, according to Huffman.
This growing season, the LARS food pantry will again receive farm fresh produce from Freetown Farm in Columbia. This partnership developed when LARS, seeking to expand its locally sourced food options, learned about the Community Ecology Institute/Freetown Farm in 2022 when both organizations received a $25,000 Planet Aid Capacity and Environmental (PACE) grant.
According to the Planet Aid website, LARS Executive Director Shannon Mouton commented about the grant, saying, “LARS is thrilled to be part of the inaugural cohort of PACE grant awardees. Planet Aid does amazing work around the world, and to be a recipient of this grant is exciting and humbling.”
LARS is on the front line of managing resources for those in need. Mouton said, “These funds will help us launch a sustainable food program that sources locally grown fruits, vegetables, and dairy products—putting money back into our community while putting food on the tables of our neighbors.”
For its part, the Community Ecology Institute oversees programs that link community to nature and nature-based environmental, agricultural, health, and well-being opportunities at Freetown Farm in Columbia. CEI bought the farm in 2019, according to its website, to create “a place where people can learn through hands-on experiences about how to lead happier, healthier, more connected and sustainable lives.”
Freetown Farm Manager Justin Chen manages not only the farm, which he described as “the demonstration space” where CEI’s seven core programs take place, but the nonprofit Agroecology in Action.
The purpose of that program, according to Chen is, “bringing together all the activities that we do here at Freetown Farm to grow food, distribute that food to our food assistance program partners, and then to teach people how to grow food in their own spaces.”
Regarding the term “agroecology,” Chen said, “the definition of it is to incorporate ecological principles into agriculture.” He further noted that, “we want to emphasize that they are on equal playing fields with us.”
He characterizes the contributions to LARS, among other partners, as the action piece, noting that, “because we became the stewards of this farm, our organization really felt that it’s our responsibility with this growing space to grow food for the community, because that’s a huge part of community well-being, community health, public health, all those things.”
Chen said, “Last year we did 30 weeks of delivery,” and that “[t]his year we hope to do more...The clients really seemed to love the produce. We got a lot of great feedback.”
Huffman called the weekly deliveries from the farm, “wonderful deliveries” of “beautiful” and fresh, healthy produce that is “great for our clients, as far as [being] much more nutritious.”
Huffman credited receiving a second Planet Aid PACE grant last year for being able to purchase an additional energy efficient refrigerator and freezer. The refrigerator has a clear glass door, so the produce is easily visible, which helps ensure it is given out as quickly as possible.
When not receiving the freshly harvested produce from Freetown Farm, LARS purchases a variety of food from a local grocery store and from the Catholic Charities SHARE Program, which provides a monthly delivery of meat and produce. LARS also receives many donations of non-perishable food from the Laurel community.
LARS gives out a three-day supply of food to clients once a month, according to Huffman, who said that last year LARS helped 1000 families. Most, if not all, were likely also getting food assistance, which is open to anyone. He notes that LARS is the biggest food pantry in Laurel, but not the only one.
Another new initiative under way at LARS is Project Grow. This program was created to address food insecurity. It offers clients the opportunity to grow their own balcony garden. Participants in this program receive the supplies needed for their garden project and learn how to garden from workshops led by certified Master Gardeners from Prince George’s County.
LARS Expands Physical Footprint and Number of Housing Units
In March, LARS acquired a second property adjacent to its 311 Laurel Avenue location. While details about the specific uses for the new property are still being finalized, the addition will allow LARS to increase capacity and service offerings to the community, according to a statement on the LARS website.
Huffman was optimistic about the addition and the green spaces in both the front and backyard of the property highlighting the potential for raised garden beds and flowers. He noted that, “we envision expanding the food pantry” into the new space, as well as being able to potentially offer space for recovery groups to meet.
Starting this fall, LARS will begin managing transitional housing at the Craig Moe Multi-Service Center, where LARS will have 19 dormitory-style units. Huffman said of this new program that LARS hopes to pair the housing units to a self-sufficiency program. The tentative date for the start of this program is the first Monday after Labor Day and is contingent upon the completion of the service center renovations.
Angie Latham Kozlowski is a staff writer and member of the Board of Directors for the Laurel History Boys. In addition to her investigative reporting, her articles frequently spotlight Howard County.
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