On Saturday, July 22, Veggies to Table, a grow-to-donate produce and flower farm in Newcastle, is partnering with forager and wild food cook Rachel Alexandrou to offer two classes on safely identifying and cooking with edible wild plants. Rachel will share her deep knowledge of wild edibles and how to properly harvest and prepare the foraged edibles.

The event is ideal for people new to foraging and/or plant lovers who want to learn how to use wild plants in their cooking. Rachel will provide wild refreshments at the end of each session, along with a cooking demonstration using some of the foraged plants.

Rachel is an artist and forager who holds a B.S. in environmental horticulture from the University of Maine and a 400-hour certificate in community herbalism from the Northeast School of Botanical Medicine. Rachel was Veggies to Table’s first farm manager in 2019. Her deep knowledge of plants and farming started the farm on its current path to success.

The event will take place at Veggies to Table’s farm in Newcastle from 10 a.m. to noon and a second session from 1 to 3 p.m. Participants are asked to wear sturdy shoes, and a hat, and to bring a notebook, writing instrument, and water bottle.

To register for this and other upcoming events, visit www.veggiestotable.org/flowerpopupsandclasses.

The cost of the workshop is $60 (children under 5 come for free). A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Veggies to Table. A second workshop will be offered on Sept. 16.

Veggies to Table Farm tours

Veggies to Table is excited to offer free, bi-monthly tours of the farm on Tuesday afternoons from 3:30–4:30 on the following dates:

• July 25
• Aug. 8 and 22
• Sept. 12

Erica Berman, Veggies to Table’s executive director, will lead the tours. She and her husband, Alain Ollier, founded the farm in 2019 to bring top-quality produce and joyful flowers to those living in the crisis of hunger in Lincoln County and beyond

To date, Veggies to Table has grown and donated 44,500+ pounds of produce to local people experiencing hunger through their 35+ local partner organizations, which include food pantries, schools, and low incoming housing.

During the tours, Erica will talk about why and how they got started, accompany participants on a detailed walk of the organic no-till farm, orchards, and the surrounding property, and hold a Q&A session about their mission, where they donate and why, and growing practices on the farm.

The visit is free but space is limited. Please register in advance at https://signup.com/go/ppqTSdY

For more information on Veggies to Table: https://veggiestotable.org