STEEP FALLS – At 10 a.m. on Saturday, pitchforks in hand, volunteers from all over the Southern Maine community will be in Steep Falls for Potato Diggin’ Day at Rippling Waters Farm located at 55 River Road.

The annual event consists of volunteers spending the morning digging hundreds of potatoes out of the ground on the 12-acre farm. Many of the volunteers also help plant the potatoes in the spring. A majority of the spuds will be donated to various local food pantries in Standish, Buxton, Limington, Limerick and Portland.

Some of those potatoes will also find their way to Catherine’s Cupboard Food Pantry in Standish.

“Rippling Waters donates 15 to 50 pounds of food a week to us,” said Amy Russell, the pantry’s coordinator. “Everything they donate is right from their gardens.”

Catherine’s Cupboard, located at the Standish Municipal Center has over 7,000 people on their registry and gives out approximately 1,200 pounds of food per week. Thanks to Rippling Waters, a good portion of that food is organic and healthy.

“Our goal is not to just give out food, but to give out the best food we can,” said Russell. “It’s great if we can give out broccoli and carrots instead of cakes and pies and we love Rippling Waters for that.”

Rippling Waters is a Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association certified farm. It has been nationally recognized for growing certified organic vegetables, bedding plants, herbs and flowers.

As part of a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant awarded in 2007 the farm has been committed to donating 20,000 pounds of fresh organic produce to low-income families and seniors in Buxton, Hollis, Limington, Standish and Frye Island for the past three years. A good volunteer turnout on Saturday will help the farm reach the last piece of their goal.

A pot luck lunch on the banks of the Saco River will immediately follow the dig. Volunteers are asked to bring a dish to the lunch. For more information or to volunteer, please call 642-5161.