Long Valley Scout Teams With Local Farm To Stock Food Pantry

LONG VALLEY, NJ - Sometimes a problem can be solved with a home grown solution. Literally. Girl Scout Gabriella Nowak has partnered with Ort Farms to provide healthy fruits and vegetables to those in the community who otherwise may not be able to afford it.

According to Nowack, a Long Valley resident who is a senior at West Morris Central High School the Gold Project grew out of her years of being a Scout.

"I started young as a Daisy in kindergarten, and my Mom was always one of the troop leaders so I was always very involved," Nowack told Patch. "I think Girl Scouts instilled great values and skills in me from a young age. I learned about cooperation and respect, as well as how hard work will take you far. I also made some of my best friends in Girl Scouts."

The ultimate goal of Nowack's Gold Award project is to provide healthy fruits and vegetables to those in the community who otherwise may not be able to afford it.

"The idea came to me after Nicole Ort at Ort Farms came to talk to our troop about farming and gleaning, which is basically picking the fruits and vegetables that would have otherwise gone to waste in the fields," she said. "I realized that the Long Valley food pantry is right down the road from Ort Farms, and therefore would be very convenient to transport leftover produce."

Nowack said that she figured she would "kill two birds with one stone" by putting food that would have gone to waste to good use by providing them to individuals and families at the food pantry.

"It was very exciting to bring juicy peaches or fresh corns to the food pantry, knowing they would be much appreciated," she said. "My goal is that hopefully this has helped make the lives of those in our community a little bit brighter, since the food you eat has such an impact on your mood daily. Once I began to get more passionate about healthy food, I wanted to fuel my project with this passion and share it with others."

This service dovetails into what Nowack said has been the hallmark of her experience as a Girl Scout. Empowerment.

"My favorite part about Girl Scouts is probably the sense of community we had within our own troop as well as others, and how it encourages self- confidence in young women." she said.

Nowack said that those who want to help her transport food and assist during the upcoming warmer months can do so by contacting her at gabriellanowak3@gmail.com.

"You can also volunteer to glean at Ort Farms to actually be the one to pick the food in the fields to take to the food pantry," she said. "If you choose to transport the food, they will simply give you the crates of food to load up in your car, and then you drive 30 seconds down the road to bring it to the food pantry."

As for the future, Nowack said she is attending college in the fall, but not much beyond that has been decided.

As of right now my major is undecided, but I am hoping to get a better feel for the future during my first year away," she said.

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