The Davis and Fisher families participated in gleaning on Aug 6 in Westmoreland County. We had a special guest Congressman Rob Wittman U.S. Representative for Virginia’s 1st congressional district.
“When you reap your harvest in your field, and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be left for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.” Deuteronomy 24:19
Our main source for fresh vegetables for the Village Harvest food distribution (3rd Wed of each month, 3pm-5pm) is the Healthy Harvest Food Bank in Warsaw whose market area includes six counties of Essex, Lancaster, Middlesex, Northumberland, Richmond and Westmoreland, including Colonial Beach. Although we are not in that market area, they allow us to purchase food from them. Johnny and Cookie Davis are responsible for developing and continuing that relationship. Both of them drive monthly to pick up the vegetables early in the morning to be ready for the distribution later in the day
Healthy Harvest Food Bank provides a minimum of 40% produce every month to over 12,700 clients and consistently provides 45-51% healthy, fresh produce to every person who struggles with enough food to eat locally. This is the highest percentage of fresh produce distributed through food pantries in the state of Virginia!
One major area of food waste in America is in farmers’ fields, where crops that don’t meet top-grade quality are left to rot or be plowed under. Gleaning is the traditional biblical practice of gathering those crops.
We also like to give back to Healthy Harvest and one way is gleaning. Hundreds of volunteers join Healthy Harvest in gleaning activities from July through December of each year. Johnny Davis is also the organizer for the gleaning parties from St. Peter’s. We find there is a lot of produce left out in the fields so it is valuable food.