Crystal Spring Farm Manager Seth Kroeck (right) and Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust intern Cora Spelke harvest over 4,000 pounds of blueberries for donation in August. Photo contributed by Brunswick Topsham Land Trust

Seth Kroeck was walking through blueberry barrens owned by Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust this summer when he spotted a bounty of fresh fruit — and an opportunity to help the hungry.

Earlier this month, a partnership between the farmer and BTLT resulted in the delivery of over 4,000 pounds of frozen blueberries to the Good Shepherd Food Bank, Preble Street and other groups. The donation comes at a time when food insecurity is growing rapidly, according to local food organizations.

Crystal Spring Farm Manager Seth Kroeck holds some of the 4,000 pounds of blueberries he volunteered to harvest for BTLT this August. Photo contributed by Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust

The land trust normally allows the public to pick berries from its Crystal Spring Farm barrens off Pleasant Hill Road in Brunswick, according to Executive Director Angela Twitchell.

Kroeck, who leases and manages part of Crystal Spring Farm as well as adjacent farmland, realized recreational pickers wouldn’t be able to keep up with this year’s bumper crop. He volunteered a day of his time and machinery, which he normally puts to use as the owner of Maquoit Wild Blueberries, to harvest a section of the land for donation.

“Seth really was the one who noted it and came to us and got this partnership going.” Twitchell said. “It turned out wildly more successful than we had anticipated.”

Over the course of a day in August, Kroeck harvested 3.5 acres of berries. An Ellsworth processing center cleaned, graded and flash froze the crop, readying the two tons of berries for distribution to local nonprofits.

Kroeck, whose farm also donates between 5,000 and 25,000 pounds of carrots each year, said providing for the hungry is part of the culture of Maine farming.

“You don’t get into this line of work because you want to make a quick buck,” he said. “You do it because you believe in growing good food for your community.”

Food insecurity is a growing problem in Maine, due in part to inflation and rising utility costs, said Alyssa Schoppee, development director at the Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program.

The Brunswick nonprofit served 120,000 meals in 2005 after opening its location at 12 Tenney Way, Schoppee said. In 2021, that number was 1.1 million meals, and visits are on track to eclipse last year’s record by 10%.

From left: Brunwick Downtown Association Executive Director Deborah King, MCHPP Board Chairperson Carl Demars, MCHPP Executive Director Karen Parker, MCHPP Development Director Alyssa Schoppee and Bath-Brunswick Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Cory King celebrate the ribbon-cutting of MCHPP’s new building in Brunswick Landing Monday, Nov. 14. Photo Contributed by Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program

A new location in Brunswick Landing could help MCHPP keep up with demand. On Monday afternoon, the organization held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new space, which will more than double MCHPP’s square footage and allow staff and volunteers to work more quickly and efficiently, according to Schoppee.

Still, she said rising prices will leave food insecurity groups increasingly reliant on aid from growers like Kroeck and citizens who can afford to donate food, time or money.

“Some people might be making hard choices this year about food versus heating versus medicine,” she said. “Anything that people can do, it really makes a difference, and it means a lot to the guests that we’re serving.”