If any of you have been lucky enough to glean at Arcadian Fields Farm with us then you know it’s a magical world unto itself – abundant with tasty turnips and ravishing radishes – and surrounded by the peaceful sights and sounds of Arcadia State Park. Hope’s Harvest RI volunteers have been gleaning there all summer collecting some of the tastiest kale you will EVER eat! We could go on and on about how fabulous all her herbs and vegetables are, but instead we thought it was about time we shared a little more about the Kale Queen herself, Diana Kushner, who owns and operates Arcadian Fields Farm. Arcadian Fields is a certified organic farm that began production in 1998. Diana has a background in ecology and developed a love for farming while studying the effects of farm chemicals on ground water. Both Diana and her husband Stephen are also documentarians with works that depict the changing landscape of our planet in our warming climate. As environmentalists, Diana and Stephen try their best to make their farming practices align with the needs of our planet. They pride themselves on developing simple systems of agriculture that make things easy for pickers and farmers while also being minimally degrading to their environment. We are proud to have them as partners not only because they have been so generous with their time and knowledge but also because they provide us with a steady influx of nutritious greens for our food pantry partners.We have gleaned almost 2000 lbs of kale from her farm alone not including all her other vegetables. They are one of our contracted farmers which means we offer them a stipend in return for regular gleaning visits. This is just one of the ways we try and honor our partners within our food system and acknowledge the value of their time and efforts.