After a morning of “thinning” the peach trees, and being chased out of the orchard by a rainstorm, the group gathered and held a barbecue on the farm.

After learning they were the first volunteer group to hold a barbecue lunch on the farm for their volunteer day, they returned to their office and began a fundraising effort to purchase and install a campsite-style charcoal/wood burning grill to be donated to America’s Grow-a-Row.

Two months have past, the group has returned, the grill has been installed and is available for future volunteer groups to enjoy.

In the two months that the GPI team worked to raise funds for and install the grill, they have continued to be active with America’s Grow-a-Row.

One volunteer helps to deliver produce to a Free Farm Market at the East Orange YMCA on Saturday mornings.

At the market, he gives out healthy produce for free to the people who need it most.

America’s Grow-a-Row, located in Pittstown, through its more than 6,000 volunteers, plants, harvests and distributes more than 1.2 million pounds of free produce to residents in need all across the state each year through a close partnership with the Community FoodBank of New Jersey.

If you are interested in volunteering or making a financial donation to America’s Grow-a-Row, please contact Chip Paillex at 908-331-2962 or email him at chip@americasgrowarow.org. To learn more information, please log onto their website at americasgrowarow.org.