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January 30, 2012

Schools, hospital, more to participate in growing program

DENISE A. RAYMO Press-Republican

MALONE — The ComLinks Gleaning Program will soon be supplying schools, a hospital and two grocery stores with locally grown produce.

And 40 food pantries will also be entitled to fresh, nutritious vegetables.

The first supply of leaf lettuce and spinach should be available in February, and two varieties of tomatoes are expected to be ready by May, said Program Director Dick LaVigne.

He said three types of leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce and spinach are already growing at its greenhouse on Creighton Road in six-week cycles.

The first 200 plants were started one week, and more were planted with each passing week, creating a staggered growing pattern.

"That lets us have fresh products every week," LaVigne said.

There are 1,000 plants in different stages of growth in the greenhouse now, he said.

Tomatoes and radishes will be started inside for a first yield, and other tomato and radish plants will be planted outside in a huge 12-acre garden that ComLinks is operating on Porter Road.

It includes an array of other fresh products for vendors and food pantries to share, and much of it can be frozen for use in non-growing seasons to give customers and clients nutritious, locally grown items all year.

Contracts have been secured from Alice Hyde Medical Center, the Malone Central School District, Yando's Big M and the Malone Price Chopper.

"People will be able to go in and get locally grown products," LaVigne said, adding that a special display section will be singled out in each store to let customers know which vegetables are from the Gleaning Program.

"We'll have four paying customers and 40 non-paying customers getting vegetables from us," he said.

Program employees will be responsible for growing, harvesting, cleaning, packing and delivering the food daily.

"We're supplying the school salad bar and the hospital," LaVigne said. "They're going to have the freshest of the fresh."

Besides Gleaning Supervisor Andy Bonesteel and Garden Supervisor Bill Delarm, ComLinks expects to hire two people from its partner agency, Citizens Advocates, and plans to bring back its Harvest Kitchen Supervisor Edna Parnapy as the volume of produce increases throughout the season.

Email Denise A. Raymo at: draymo@pressrepublican.com

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