Each week, nearly 200 families receive twenty pound boxes of fresh, high-quality produce -- and it's all free.

The boxes are part of the Farmers to Families program, which is a collaboration between Sid Wainer & Sons, the Marion Institute’s South Coast Food Policy Council, and the United Way of Greater New Bedford. 

Each box includes a variety of fruits and vegetables, including blueberries, zucchini, summer squash, lemons, apples, kale, and cabbage.

Sid Wainer & Sons is a local food distributor which received a grant from the USDA to distribute produce. While the grant initially only covered the program for June, new grants will allow the program to continue through the end of August.

In Wareham, the Marion Institute has partnered with the Gleason Family YMCA which serves as a distribution site.

The Marion Institute’s South Coast Food Policy Council works to connect and advocate for local food producers, consumers, and community leaders to strengthen the regional food system, improve community health, and end food security. 

The council has also recently partnered with Wareham’s Community Youth Empowerment group to find more families to receive the boxes. 

By the end of August, the program will have brought a total of 600,000 pounds of produce to families across the South Coast.