HARDWICK – By Thanksgiving morning, the annual Pies for People project based in Hardwick will have supplied over 300 pumpkin and fruit pies for holiday tables in Hardwick, Craftsbury, Albany, Barton and surrounding towns.
photo by Bethany Dunbar
This year Pies for People will go back to its roots from before the project even had a name.
In the year 2000, Zarina Castro, who lived on a class four road in Walden and served as a deacon at St. John the Baptist church in Hardwick, knew that holiday baskets were being planned for the Hardwick Area Food Pantry. The pantry is based in the church but since the pandemic has expanded to serve locations in Craftsbury and Albany as well.
“Well you can’t do a Thanksgiving basket without a pie,” she told her team, agreeing to bake the 30 pies needed for holiday baskets that year. That first year she cooked them at home. Transporting them was a nightmare so the second year she cooked them at the church.
courtesy The Center for an Agricultural Economy social media post
Castro was transferred to a church in Stowe around the time the Pies for People project began ramping up at Sterling College.
The project got its name in 2008, and currently it is managed as a group project by the Center for an Agricultural Economy, the Hardwick Area Food Pantry and Sterling College, with support from Salvation Farms, Hazen High School and dozens of volunteers.
The project has grown over time. The team has recently baked about 150 pies a year. The team started planning early with a goal of 300 pies this year due to increased demand. No stone was left unturned in a search for folks willing to donate pies or ingredients. Cabot Creamery donated a case of butter, Buffalo Mountain Market donated bulk quantities of spices, Salvation Farms donated squash and many volunteer bakers donated ingredients needed to bake pies at their homes for the project. Shaw’s, Hannaford Supermarket, Tops Friendly Market and Price Chopper Supermarket have all pledged pies or gift cards for ingredients and Positive Pie in Hardwick donated pizza boxes to box up the individual pies.
photo by Kelly Bogel Stokes
Just in time, Zarina Castro retired and had time this year to organize a baking day at the Hardwick church, where 80 pies were baked. Castro grew up in poverty and for that reason feels especially glad about being able to make sure no one goes without a really nice meal for the holiday.
“For me it’s fun,” she said. She has a 10-year-old helper named Malaky Downing who is excited for the baking days, as well as some other helpers. “I love engaging other people in this.”
The estimated number of pies baked for this project since 2008 is 1,600.
This year’s outpouring of generosity will fill 300 holiday boxes and community dinner tables to brighten the season for hundreds of families, neighbors and friends.
Bethany Dunbar is the community programs manager at the Center for an Agricultural Economy.
Bethany Dunbar
