CLEARLAKE ? Area seniors are benefiting from the overzealousness of a farmer who is donating excess produce from his personal garden to the Highlands Senior Center. Paul Peterson, whose inspiration came from his wife Marla, director the nutrition program for Konocti Unified School District (KUSD), is ensuring that nothing goes to waste.
“I retired last October and I always wanted a garden but I didn”t have the time. I guess I over did it and we had all these veggies,” Paul Peterson said, adding that through community contacts he learned that the seniors at the Highlands Senior Center could use and would appreciate any extra produce that he may have. “I wasn”t going to have a garden this big next year, but now I”ve decided I will because I”d like to keep this going.”
Peterson supply the senior center with a few boxes of assorted produce twice a week. He delivers zucchini, squash, cucumbers, peppers, melons, fresh herbs and more.
“We put out 4,000 meals a year and Paul is helping to fill those plates with fresh, organic produce,” Highlands Senior Center Executive Director Linda Burton said. “When you have the freshest possible organically-grown food available, it has a higher nutrition value than anything you can buy in the store. Seniors need a higher nutritional quality in their food. It helps them to thrive.”
Marla Peterson added, “And it”s feeding the neediest, sickest, frailest people you can find.”
Marla Peterson is currently directing the Summer Food Program in the KUSD. She has secured purchase agreements with local farmers including Seely Farms and Jim Leonardes, of Kelseyville. “We are trying to buy local produce for the Summer Food Program,” she said, adding that it”s rewarding to see the children”s reactions when they are introduced to new foods. “They get really excited about the yellow watermelons. Most of them have never seen them before. And when we put cooked squash in front of them they won”t touch it. But they love the raw vegetables and they eat them up.”
Bringing fresh produce to seniors, some of whom cannot get to the grocery store or grow it for themselves also adds to their quality of life. “A goal of mine is to make sure that our seniors get a taste of a homegrown tomato each year,” Burton said. “It”s the little things that make a difference.”
The senior center is looking forward to growing a community garden in the near future. Despite what is produced, Burton said there”s never too much. “We go through about 100 to 150 pounds of vegetables a day. Even with the garden, there are not enough donations we can get.”
The Highlands Senior Center is constantly engaged in fund-raising endeavors and welcomes donations for its weekly silent auction and its monthly clothing “bag” sale, which are both made possible through donations from the
