Essex County Sheriff’s crops are having a bountiful year

Our farm at the Essex County Pre-release and Re-entry Center in Lawrence is producing a bumper crop this year and much of the harvest will be donated to local pantries, shelters, and food banks.

The six-acre garden was planted in April and is maintained picked by three volunteers housed at the facility. Jorge Mejias and Nathan Forrest are two of those inmates who this year planted tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, eggplant, potatoes, zucchini, corn, watermelon, as well as the facility’s famous pumpkins.

Senior Correctional Officer Kathy Lawrence works in food services for the Department and said the amount of produce harvested measures in the tons each season. Lawrence said the garden produces enough vegetables to feed all inmates at Essex County correctional facilities with plenty leftover to help several organizations through the county.

Correctional Specialist Dennis Laubner works with the inmates on the farm project and said being able to help others this year is especially critical.

“With the COVID situation, there are lots of families in need right now. We don’t want anything to go to waste,” Laubner said. “We don’t want a green bean left on the ground or a tomato left on the vine. We want everything to go out to those who need it.”

Among the organizations served by the Sheriff’s Department last year included: Our Neighbor's Table in Amesbury; Lazarus House in Lawrence; St. Patrick’s Church in Lawrence; The Joyful Ladle in Haverhill; Haven from Hunger in Peabody; Beverly Bootstraps in Beverly; Neighbors in Need in Lawrence; Bread and Roses in Lawrence; Pegasus House in Lawrence; Emmaus House in Haverhill; Merrivista in Haverhill; Merrimack Valley Food Bank in Lowell; Lawrence Fire Department; St. John’s Church in Peabody; UTEC in Lowell; and My Brothers Table in Lynn.