With dropping temperatures and shorter days, the growing field is now put to rest for the winter months. The last six weeks of the season were a whirlwind of activity: a monumental fundraiser, an influx of field trips + volunteer groups, and detailed projects to complete before the frost meant more collaboration than ever between the farm and our community. 

We welcomed amazing volunteers for special end-of-season projects that led to a chance to take part in something unique at the farm. We could not have accomplished growing and caring for so many plants, harvesting, donating, or improving our facilities without your help. Thank you for choosing to participate at Hilltop Hanover this year: 
we are incredibly grateful to be your farm. 

Though the volunteer schedule will be consolidated during the winter months, there are lots of exciting things in the works that we can't wait to share with you soon. For now, we are looking forward to celebrating the upcoming holidays and new year with you: stay tuned for some unique opportunities.

 I hope to see you back on the farm soon.

 -Cynthia S.
HHF Food Donation + Volunteer Coordinator

Our Views, Brews, and BBQ flagship fundraiser on 10/15 was an enormous success, thanks to our wonderful volunteers! We had a record turnout of help from volunteers who lived near and far, and who graciously assisted in almost every area behind the scenes. We had so much help thanks to you, and our board and staff are so grateful. For the very first time, this event's cleanup took just two hours rather than two days !

Our Community Work Day on 11/5 focused on a little cleaning up of the growing fields, and a lot of work in the tomato-filled high tunnel: even in this insulated structure, the threat of frost was imminent and would ruin the last of this crop. The last vegetables still in these beds were gleaned by volunteers, saving 10 lbs of escarole and 13 lbs of cabbage.

Moving to the High Tunnel, volunteers young and old helped to first collect every last tomato still on the vine, separating by color and type in a fun scavenger hunt. A huge thank you to everyone who joined us throughout the morning: Sarah Lawrence scholars, Boy Scout Somers Pack 1 Den 6, and our tireless, recurring volunteers who help make so much happen around the farm each visit.

This harvest saved over 200 lbs of tomatoes from the frost and compost that instead went to the Farm Stand for customers to enjoy, a rare treat so late in the season.

Curious how to volunteer as an employee on behalf of your workplace? The fall was by far the most popular time for corporate volunteer groups to rally at the farm. Here are some highlights of how these groups made an incredible difference at Hilltop Hanover these last few weeks.

Employees from ICL knew they wanted to volunteer in helping to harvest our sweet potato crop, which they had done last year, and we were happy to make that happen! The group worked through light rain and muddy field conditions for an amazing bounty of over 680 lbs of sweet potatoes! A small portion was sent right off to a food pantry, while the rest went to the coolers. A bonus gleaning also yielded 13 lbs of beets for donation.

Thank you, ICL!

Regeneron employees visited the farm twice to volunteer during their week-long Day for Doing Good initiative.

On 10/21, a group of Regeneron volunteers joined us in cleaning up over 2,000 ft of field beds and gleaning the last of those crops; with the 89 lbs of gleaned produce, they created 27 boxes of food kits to serve as the base of a nutritious meal, which was sent to First Presbyterian Church of Yorktown Food Pantry that same afternoon.

On 10/27, a different group of Regeneron employees tackled a huge native seed harvest from five different varieties of native plants, working over 1.3 acres for 2 hours. Then, they helped clean over 5 lbs of teeny tiny native Iris versicolor seeds, which involves cracking open a seed pod and separating the actual seed from the chaff, or refuse inside the pod.

Thank you, Regeneron! 

We welcomed employees of Silo as a volunteer group on 11/11, who helped to plant and protect two new River Birch trees in the cow pasture so that our three Dutch Belted ladies have some much-needed shade in a few years time, and as a wetland tree are perfect for absorbing water from this lowland area that's prone to flooding. Between digging the holes around giant rocks, placing the trees, and pounding fence posts into the ground, there was plenty of good-natured competition between these coworkers.

Thank you, Silo!