Lakeville Farm Raises Thousands to Feed SouthCoast Families in Need

The annual Harvest Festival at Elliot Farm in Lakeville is about more than just festive, family fun. It's also about raising funds for local families in need and making sure everyone on the SouthCoast has healthy food on their tables.

Earlier this month the staff at Elliot Farm held a one-day Harvest Festival with pumpkin picking, bouncy houses, food, vendors and even a petting zoo. Over 1,200 area residents came to enjoy the fall fun and doing so, they gave back to the community around them.

At Elliot Farm, the Harvest Festival is about giving back. Entrance fees and farm stand purchases during the event raise money that gets donated to their sister non-profit, Farm & Community Collaborative (F&CC). And this year's event raised $7,500.

100% of that $7,500 raised is going to feed local families in need with farm fresh produce grown by F&CC as well as essential groceries not found on the farm.

The goal of F&CC is to alleviate food insecurity by improving access to local farm fresh produce for underserved populations around the SouthCoast. They specifically target what the USDA calls 'food desert communities' such as Fall River, New Bedford and Taunton, so much of the money raised is going to help those right in our own backyard.

But don't worry if you didn't get to support the cause by attending the Harvest Festival at Elliot Farm earlier this month, there are other ways to contribute to the amazing work F&CC is doing.

Donations for the non-profit are collected throughout the year and can be made in person at the farm, on the Elliot Farm website or through the Elliot Farm Facebook page. All donations are tax deductible and could help out your own neighbors who may be concerned with food insecurity as nearly everything becomes increasingly more expensive these days.