Last week’s regional and local newspapers devoted many inches to growing food and getting it to the tables of hungry people. Some hungry people don’t qualify for food stamps. They have too many assets — a car, or a house even — but no job. The papers carried a call for volunteers to plant an extra row of vegetables to help with the Maine Harvest or to support the Community Agricultural Support initiative.

An Eileen Adams’ piece announced the publication of “Planting the Seeds, A Guide to Healthy Eating.” The spiral-bound book, a project of the River Valley Healthy Communities Coalition, is jam-packed with suggestions for choosing and preparing healthy foods. Much of the material came from the USDA’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

The Guide is full of good stuff: “…healthy foods to add to your shopping list: tomatoes…whole grains…berries…nuts…fish….” It provides advice on freezing foods, eating bacteria, buying on a budget …”

Wonderful. But there’s a hitch, and it’s this: The price of fresh food — all food — has risen to astronomical, outlandish new highs. A pint of grape tomatoes was a mere $2.99 just a few weeks back; now it’s $3.99 unless you luck into a loss leader. Of course, we should shun red meat for fresh fish, but egad, fresh haddock has been just a penny under $10 a pound.

How can families on restricted budgets, parents who are jobless, the elderly on fixed incomes manage to furnish the makings of a healthy diet? Jeanne Jones, who works at Healthy Oxford Hills in Norway, conceded sadly that high food costs make it hard for many families to eat right.

Dave Kimball, too, acknowledges food price problem consumers face: “It’s a challenge.”

It’s spring, and like most farmers and gardeners, Dave is preparing for the coming growing season and the 2011 River Valley Farmers’ Market. It will open for the season — barring spring snowstorms — the last Saturday in May. Carl and Gail Cutting expect to have spinach, lettuce, and radishes by then, also tomatoes. Tomatoes in May!

Never heard of Backyard Farm? It’s in Madison, Carl said. It has a 1,000-foot long greenhouse and tomatoes growing therein.

Dave predicts prices at farmers’ markets will rise this year, because it’s costing more to farm. Take the hydraulic oil he needs for his tractor. Not too long ago, it cost $32 for a five-gallon can; now it’s more than $50.

On the bright side, Dave predicts “increased transportation costs will encourage people to do more shopping locally,” helping small businesses and farmers.

Sandy Witas is a Murphy-trained master gardener. Working from the coalition  office, she has been connecting some dots in the cause of healthy foods for all. The garden at Hosmer field has been around for a lot of seasons. Its faithful cultivators include Barb Murphy and Larry Hodges, and many other volunteers, including Sandy. She helps in the garden, and recruits and coordinates volunteer help for distributing the harvest to area food pantries.

Three years ago, she discovered the garden, but “I didn’t understand what went on there.” Now, “it’s a passion for me because I understand what they are doing:” helping provide healthy, fresh food to hungry people and building community in the bargain.

Linda Farr Macgregor is a freelance writer; contact her: [email protected]