MILTON -- Summer means fresh garden produce, the best eating in the world. Unfortunately, for low-income families, fresh vegetables and fruit are often one of the first things they sacrifice as their incomes are squeezed, according to Doug Diven, director of the HandUp Foundation.

"Low-income families have more health issues as a result of not eating right," he said.

Diven resolved to try to do something to help.

It took a while, but Diven's idea is growing.

He took his plan to the congregation of Community Mennonite Fellowship, not knowing that Bryce Martin, a member of that church, had been thinking along the same lines.

"I'd been looking at a field the church owns for a couple of weeks, thinking that it would be a good place to grow produce for sale," Martin said as he and a handful of volunteers pulled weeds Wednesday evening on the church grounds near Milton.

Martin, who grew up on a farm, knew what he was getting into, although some of the volunteers didn't know about the prolific weeds.

"The corn started slow, and the weeds kept up," he said ruefully. "This field hadn't been cultivated in years, so the weeds have a good hold."

Martin said nearly two dozen members of the congregation have been involved in the project so far.

"I spoke to the congregation, letting them know what I had in mind, and there has been a lot of support," Martin said. "I was really pleased when Rev. Diven came and encouraged the idea."

This year, Martin and his volunteers are growing sweet corn, and he hopes to expand the project next year to include other produce. He said the corn will be sold at cost to HandUp. Some members of the congregation have agreed to provide other fresh produce too, Martin said.

"If people pay for it, they are invested in it, and it doesn't get wasted," he said.

That fits right in with how Diven envisioned the project's progress.

"We'll sell it to families at our cost, which we hope will be about a third of the retail price," Diven said.

Eligibility requirements for the fresh vegetables will be the same as that for participation in the Milton Food Bank, and applications are available at HandUp.