On an unusually chilly May afternoon, Bryan Ferguson is planting potatoes at Maris Farm in Boonville. This is Ferguson's second time volunteering on the farm and he says he doesn't mind the hard work.
"We sometimes forget where our food actually comes from," Ferguson said. "The vegetables we buy in the supermarket, they don't grow in the supermarket….. they come from farmers, and small farms, or big farms across the country."
Ferguson and the other students from Hamilton College spent the afternoon planting peas, carrots, onions, and potatoes. It's something that needs to get done and the students say it gives them a chance to learn more about one another. The farm is a project of the Kenmax Foundation, a non profit organization that focuses on promoting biodiversity, sustainability and conservation of the planet. Once these vegetables are grown, they will go to food pantries and other local charities in Northern and Central New York.
"To know that you're helping people who live around here and who are in the community that you're apart of...it's a really nice feeling," volunteer Stephanie Call said.
The Kenmax Foundation loves having student volunteers just as much as the students love to come to the farm.
"It just feels great and they love it, we love it," Darci Byrne, Kenmax Foundation CEO said. It's nice to have that connection with the youth."
And when the vegetables are ready, the students will return to harvest them. Picking vegetables that will feed someone in need.