What’s better than farm fresh? Farm fresh for free.
Last weekend, Platteville, Colorado’s Miller Farms opened its fields to all comers to harvest their remaining potatoes, carrots and leeks. The Free Pick Weekend attracted a staggering 40,000 people who harvested 600,000 pounds of food.
Miller Farms, a large, family operation that grows a variety of crops (amen!) and dabbles in ag tourism, had to turn some folks away.
The event made the news, locally and nationally. Here’s a slide show of the event, and a CNN video. Those Millers really know how to work a press release!
More likely, the story had the perfect storm of topics: hunger, recession and food in this Thanksgiving week. Plus, everyone loves farms.
In the NPR interview, Miller mentioned that he’s had gleaners come to pick his excess crops before. But this was different. More direct.
Here’s where I remind you that the Bible (Leviticus) suggests this kind of generosity. While this practice used to be the norm, all credit to the Millers for making it happen.
The event also highlights the guesswork central to farming. You’re never sure how much to grow, because of the variables of weather, pests and demand. Also, farmers hate to run out, losing sales and turning people down.*
Often, the result is an unharvested abundance. Imagine what happens at the majority of farms, where the fields aren’t opened to gleaners or the public.
Fortunately, most farmers hate to see food go to waste. That’s where gleaning, either by volunteers, the hungry or others, has a role. The free-for-all events are much more effective, as those in need can pick their own food.
The problem, though, is the most needy often don’t have a car or aren’t physically able to pick crops. That’s why when I’m Food Waste Czar, I’ll encourage farmers to incorporate more of these events, with better organization, into their calendars.
If every farm with excess had these kinds of events, say…throughout November, the crowds wouldn’t be quite as overwhelming. Neither would Americans’ hunger.
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*A Miller Farm employee in the CNN video mentioned that they planted more potatoes this year after running out last year.
4 Comments
Jon,
Rock on. First of all, that painting has been in my dad’s house since I was born, and I have always loved it. Only recently have I come to know what it was about.
Here in New York State, we have something called Cooperative Extension. It’s through Cornell University, which has an amazing agricultural school. Anyway, since I started my job, I’ve been contacted by someone there who wants to increase the connectivity between CHOW, Catholic Charities and the local farmers, who are, as your post suggests, eager to see their food waste be fed to the hungry rather than plowed under. This winter, I am going to work on getting the University Students at SUNY Binghamton jazzed up about gleaning in the springtime.
We’ve had much of our produce come from gleaning operations this Fall, including 10,000 pounds of potatoes, two shopping carts full of squash, two skids of pumpkins, as well as onions, cabbages and apples galore!
Peace and Love,
Dan
I wish farms around here would do that. I guess that’s common place in Idaho. Again, the inefficienies of machinery. Machinery often leaves parts unharvested when it can’t make th turns and it’s not cost effective to go thru twice.
Dan, that’s awesome that you’re able to reap so much from gleaning operations. Keep up the great work. I’m curious: what is available to be gleaned in Binghamton in the spring?
Alana, are there any gleaning outings near you? Some non-profits let volunteers take some items home, while the majority goes to the hungry. There doesn’t seem to be any gleaning done by the Society of St. Andrew in Idaho, but they do have a Potato Project outing.
Oh, that is so wonderful! I hope more farms decide to do that.