It’s 10:30 on any Sunday morning from May to October and individuals gather on the dewy grass at Pleasant Valley Acres Farm in Cumberland. The size and composition of the group fluctuates from week to week — sometimes 20-somethings with coffee mugs, other times parents with children, usually both. The factor that ties us all together is our passion for wholesome and sustainably grown food. We have chosen to spend precious weekend time planting, weeding, harvesting and otherwise caring for the plants that will feed us through the summer, fall and winter.

On this particular morning in June there is much work to be done. After a quick introduction to the day’s chores we divide into two groups. Half head to a nearby field to plant squash while those remaining plant cucumbers, herbs, beans and soybeans. As morning slowly approaches afternoon, individuals wander back and forth between the two fields to visit the goats, drink ice-cold water from the well and eat lunch. As mid-afternoon arrives and many seeds have been placed in the soft, moist soil, the group begins to trickle away back to Portland.

This gathering of people is made possible by the Winter Cache Project, a Portland-based group focused on building community and self-sufficiency by cooperatively growing and storing organic fruits, vegetables and medicinal herbs. WCP was formed in response to growing concerns about the negative environmental, social and health impacts of large-scale, industrial agriculture. The founders of the project decided to address the expense of organic food and the scarcity of local and sustainable options for food throughout the winter through self-determination and community action.

WCP benefits from a work-trade relationship with Betty and Gene Weir, who allow us to farm part of their land in exchange for help with their own farming endeavors. This year the WCP also began a new work-trade relationship with Broadturn Farm in Scarborough, where we planted an educational herb garden and plan to teach people how to make their own medicine. In the fall, potatoes, squash, rutabagas, cabbage, carrots, onions, beets and garlic are stored in a root cellar in Portland. Other crops, such as tomatoes, green beans, kale, dry beans, peppers, peas and herbs are preserved through canning, drying and freezing. Throughout the winter, this food is re-distributed to project volunteers.

I started volunteering with the WCP last summer and was quickly hooked. Having always been interested in growing my own food, it was hard for me to move to an apartment in the city with no yard (now that I have a yard, it’s not any good for gardening). Working with the WCP gives me the opportunity to be in touch with where my food comes from and get my hands dirty. I’ve gotten to know some great people through chatting while weeding or planting. The essence of the group is its accessibility to any and all who want to help, regardless of how often or in what way they want to be involved. And of course, I savor the delicious organic food I eat throughout the winter. Somehow food tastes better when I can remember the sun, breeze, birdsong and conversation from the days when I helped plant, weed and harvest it.

Upcoming events

Sunday work parties: Meet at 10 a.m. at Peppermint Park at 144 Cumberland Ave. to carpool to the farm.

Preserving the harvest workshops: Come and learn how to can, freeze and dry various fruits, vegetables and herbs.

Fundraiser at Flatbread Company: On Tuesday, Aug. 28, Flatbread Company restaurant (72 Commercial Street) will donate $3.50 from every large pizza and $1.75 from every small pizza sold from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. to WCP. There will also be an informational table set up.

Please email wintercache@riseup.net for more information.

Julia Davis helps organize for the Winter Cache Project and currently works at New Elm Farm in Freeport. She will study documentary writing in the fall at the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies. She lives in Portland.