The Dartmouth Rotary Club and Friends Donated a New Crop Crimper to the Dartmouth YMCA

Dartmouth is all about helping Dartmouth and the Rotary Club is a prime example.

On Thursday, June 8th, The Dartmouth Rotary Club alongside the Dartmouth Friends of the Elderly join forces with a donation that will truly make a difference in the SouthCoast community. Together they gifted a brand new "crop crimper" to the Dartmouth Y.M.C.A. agriculture program.

Throughout the year, the Rotary Club and the Friends of the Elderly organize fundraising events just so they can give back to the local community. This time, the new piece of farm equipment is going to benefit beyond the vegetable fields.

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Ashley Brister is the farm director at 'Sharing the Harvest Community Farm', a program of YMCA SouthCoast, who gratefully accepted the gift from the Rotary Club.

"This is going to help us implement more ecological growing practices, reduce plastic mulch (weed management), and also try to keep roots in the ground at all times," Brister explained, "This tool will help us terminate or kill the cover crop, all while keeping the roots in the ground. Eventually, it leads to better plant health, which leads to better food health, and then an overall improvement in human health."

To put into perspective how valuable this crop crimper will become, the harvest produced helps out programs like the Friends of the Elderly and the Council on Aging. Other organizations such as senior centers, the Veterans Home, PACE in New Bedford, and Damien’s Kitchen in Wareham will be able to be helped thanks to 'Sharing the Harvest Community Farm' as well as The United Way Hunger Commission.

“The Y is involved with feeding the hungry and this is going to help them produce quality and better food," Dartmouth Rotary Club President Moe Lemieux said, "It’s better for the soil and in the long run, it’s better for the crop. It’s part of our mission to help the community and we're pleased to have a joint partnership with the Dartmouth Friends of the Elderly."

The Rotary Club members in attendance were Moe Lemieux, Rick Arruda, Mark Medeiros, Micaela Manzone, Kathleen Amaral, and Sarah Lamothe. The members of the Dartmouth Friends of the Elderly in attendance were President Maria Connor (also a Rotary Club member and Eleanor White.