Did you know the University of Maryland Eastern Shore provides excess fresh produce to those in need through the Society of St. Andrew-Delmarva? The Simon A. Haley School of Agriculture & Natural Sciences donates vegetables from faculty and extension research.
This summer, yellow squash grown by Simon Zebelo, professor of entomology and plant biology, for research on evaluating trap cropping and companion planting strategies to manage insect pests in cucurbit fields was donated. July and August harvests totaling 2,345 pounds (9,380 servings) were distributed to 16 different agencies in Somerset, Wicomico and Worcester counties that share food locally to those in need. Similarly, 60 pounds of rhubarb Swiss chard were donated in October 2025 from a soil health research project conducted by Keith Bucca, lab assistant in the Department of Agriculture, Food and Resource Sciences.
On the school’s extension side, Dr. Nadine Burton, alternative crop specialist, was presented with an award from the Society of St. Andrews for her role in growing and providing 12,888 servings of fresh produce over the past two years (2024-2025). Donations were traditional and non-traditional crops grown in high tunnels at UMES’ Research, Extension and Teaching Farm that Burton oversees.
“Since opening the office here on the Shore, we have been excited to work with UMES, which grows so much amazing food for their research in support of local agriculture. This partnership means a lot to Society of St. Andrew and to the agencies we work with across the lower Eastern Shore. Somerset County has the highest rates of food insecurity in Maryland, and being able to share fresh food that many can’t afford is a game changer,” said Jean Siers, regional director, Society of St. Andrew-Delmarva.
Since 2023, when the collaboration began, the nonprofit has gleaned 8,378 pounds of fresh produce from UMES, the equivalent of 33,512 servings of food, to distribute through 20 local receiving agencies, Siers said.
Apart from direct donation of produce, UMES employees such as 4-H STEM educators Diamond Nwaeze and Jeremiah Mowen volunteer their time at gleaning events on local farm fields organized by the society. This season, they collected harvest leftovers, including butternut squash, potatoes, leeks and corn, among other crops, to make available to the nonprofit’s community partners addressing hunger.
“I love gleaning and the impact it has on our neighbors. We collect leftover crops in the field after harvest that have been missed or did not meet for-sale quality grade standards. Sometimes, entire fields are left because they were not economically profitable to harvest,” Nwaeze said.
The youth educator shares information on gleaning events for student consideration for service hours.
“Every pair of hands makes a big difference in ending hunger in our community,” Siers said. “People can join us in the fields for an hour or two, or they can visit local farms and pick up perfectly good food that isn’t marketable for some reason. Each person can play a role in helping end both food waste and food insecurity.”
The Delmarva office has already had a big impact on the area. Since opening in June 2022, more than 6.8 million pounds of food have been rescued and shared with more than 200 separate hunger agencies, ranging from small soup kitchens, food pantries and senior housing to large food banks and everything in between. More than 2,800 volunteers have assisted in getting food from fields and packing houses to agencies and the people who need it.
Gail Stephens, agricultural communications and media associate, Simon A. Haley School of Agriculture & Natural Sciences, UMES Extension, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, gcstephens@umes.edu.
Photos courtesy of Society of St. Andrew-Delmarva.
