Senator Hassan Recognizes Andrew Morin of Nashua as June’s Granite Stater of the Month
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan recognized Andrew Morin of Nashua as June’s Granite Stater of the Month. Andrew co-founded the ReGenerative Roots Association, which runs community farms, farm-to-school programs, and a food hub to help Nashua families thrive.
About 10 years ago, Andrew and a group of high school friends – who were also lifelong Nashua residents – became interested in tackling local food security and sustainability. Using their connections in the community, they founded the ReGenerative Roots Association with a 4,000-square-foot garden plot, a couple of volunteers, and some high school interns. Today, the nonprofit is on its seventh growing season, with three community farm sites that are on pace to grow 15,000 pounds of food this year. The land is open to use by refugees and new farmers, and all who farm on the land donate 10 percent of their produce to the Nashua Children’s Home or Nashua Soup Kitchen.
In addition to community farms, ReGenerative Roots also has robust farm-to-school programs that teach students about the importance of local food systems and healthy eating through hands-on experiences in school gardens. Its newest program, the Food Hub, sells produce from local New England vendors and also has a food pantry to help people and families who can’t afford the food that they need.
Senator Hassan launched the “Granite Stater of the Month” initiative in 2017 to recognize outstanding New Hampshire citizens who go above and beyond to help their neighbors and make their communities stronger. To nominate a New Hampshire citizen to be a “Granite Stater of the Month,” constituents can complete the nomination form here.
To read Senator Hassan’s statement for the Congressional Record, see below.
I am honored to recognize Andrew Morin of Nashua as June’s Granite Stater of the Month. Andrew co-founded the ReGenerative Roots Association, which runs community farms, farm-to-school programs, and a food hub to help Nashua families thrive.
When Andrew was about five years old, his father gave him his first tomato seed to plant in their back yard. What started as an ingenious way to encourage Andrew to eat his vegetables turned into Andrew developing a lifelong passion for agriculture and local food systems.
About 10 years ago, Andrew and a group of high school friends – who were also lifelong Nashua residents – became interested in tackling local food security and sustainability. Using their connections in the community, they founded the ReGenerative Roots Association with a 4,000-square-foot garden plot, a couple of volunteers, and some high school interns. Today, the nonprofit is on its seventh growing season, with three community farm sites that are on pace to grow 15,000 pounds of food this year. The land is open to use by refugees and new farmers, and all who farm on the land donate 10 percent of their produce to the Nashua Children’s Home or Nashua Soup Kitchen.
In addition to community farms, ReGenerative Roots also has robust farm-to-school programs that teach students about the importance of local food systems and healthy eating through hands-on experiences in school gardens. Its newest program, the Food Hub, sells produce from local New England vendors and also has a food pantry to help people and families who can’t afford the food that they need.
Andrew Morin has made an incredible difference in the Nashua area, providing healthy fruits and vegetables to families and creating a sense of community and economic empowerment for newly-arrived refugees. I commend him for his determination in tackling the challenging issue of food insecurity and healthy nutrition, and for his generosity in giving back to the community. Andrew’s work exemplifies the Granite State spirit, and I look forward to seeing how ReGenerative Roots continues to touch the lives of even more Granite Staters in the years to come.
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