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produce than usual that could be donated to those in need. “We’ve been able to step in and fill some of the gap at the Jonnycake Center and other food pantries so they can continue to provide fresh vegetables to their clients,” said Brown, who did much of the harvesting herself, with the assistance of a few staff and local student helpers. “The key to food security is making sure people have reliable access to food,” she added. “One of the things we’re seeing with the pandemic is that the industrial food system, while very efficient at delivering low-cost food, can be disrupted when a failure occurs at a single point in the chain. We’re beginning to appreciate the smaller and more local food producers that are more resilient. They’re like the internet, with lots of nodes and ways to get around failure points.”

URI Master Gardener Karen Kalish.

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