It has been a month since we officially opened the doors of the Agricultural Processing Center at 19 Boynton Lane. Now, we proudly reflect on the collaborative effort that brought this transformative project to life and, most importantly, the meaningful impact it is already having on our community. This venture’s success was, and continues to be, rooted in the willingness of everyone involved in working across disciplines and brought to fruition by continually adhering to the belief that “in union, there is strength” (Aesop).
After the building at 19 Boynton Lane was purchased, our Land Bank staff worked swiftly and diligently to get the Processing Center ready for production. During this time, Martin Feehan, Deer Biologist for the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, provided critical education and guidance about the MassWildlife’s Hunters Share the Harvest Program to our venison processing team so they were fully prepared to begin operations as soon as all building approvals were granted.
The Land Bank is steadfast on managing Nantucket’s deer population to mitigate the ecological and public health risks and supporting the traditional recreational activity of hunting. With the Agricultural Processing Center, we can concurrently also support the agricultural component of our mission by aiding in local food production. This multi-layered effort is made possible through MassWildlife’s Hunters Share the Harvest Program which authorizes the donation of deer from hunters and then also the donation of venison to the community.
We are grateful for the incredible contributions of hunters in the last month, with over 53 deer donated, and Venison Processing Manager Dean Belanger, and his staff of processors, who rose to the challenge and quickly developed an efficient workflow for converting donated deer into 2lb packages of ground venison. From there, the Land Bank’s collaboration with Nourish Nantucket has been essential in ensuring local venison reaches those who need them most. Through Nourish Nantucket’s prepared meals program and their partnerships with the Nantucket Food Pantry and the Pip and Anchor Send It Box program, Nourish has created a vital link between the Land Bank’s conservation, recreation and agricultural mission and our mutual objective of ending food insecurity on Nantucket.
It is only through the generosity of numerous individuals and groups within both the public and private sectors that the Agricultural Processing Center at 19 Boynton Lane came into existence. These partnerships are instrumental in creating lasting and meaningful benefits for Nantucket, and we hope that this model of collaboration will serve as an example of what is possible when we work together for the well-being of our community.