Farmers, food shelves unite to feed hungry in Minnesota, Wisconsin
Pioneer Press
October 16, 2008
By Kevin Harter
Beneath gray skies last week, rain-soaked volunteers picked deep-red apples from low-hanging branches before loading them into a truck headed to area food shelves. The apples — harvested from a small orchard near Maiden Rock, Wis. — are part of an experiment to provide the needy healthier, fresher food that otherwise might go to waste. The truck was heading to St. Paul's Second Harvest Heartland, a nonprofit hunger-relief agency serving 51 counties in Minnesota and 18 in western Wisconsin. "There is a lot of nutrition here. A lot of vitamin C," said Ruth Viste, who planted the bountiful apple trees the half-dozen volunteers were clearing off last week. "There is no sense letting the cattle and deer get them all." The goal of this fall's experiment is to get volunteers and farmers together to help feed the region's growing number of hungry people. So far, 500 pounds of apples have gone to the Second Harvest warehouse, and several hundred pounds more went to food shelves in Ellsworth, Wis., and Red Wing, Minn. Viste said she was moved to donate after hearing about the new program, and word spread to volunteers. Despite the rain and the short notice, six drove down from the Twin Cities to pick apples. "It's important. And it's something I can do to help, so I came out," said Doug White, of New Hope, a buyer for Cub Foods. The souring economy has had an impact on food pantries. "Support for our work has never been higher, and the demand has never been greater. And inventories are down as a result," said Jon Guy, vice president of Second Harvest Heartland. "We need to take advantage of every opportunity."
The bulk of the food Second Harvest gathers comes from donations by large retailers such as Cub, Target and Wal-Mart, Guy said. But the agency needs all the food it can get. He said mounds of food often go unharvested each year, though he knew of no studies or data to confirm just how much. Several University of Minnesota agriculture experts and Minnesota Department of Agriculture officials said it is a question that begs an answer, but they didn't have one either. Despite early success stories, there have also been missed opportunities. A farmer in southern Minnesota called Second Harvest to say he had 80 acres of green beans a canning company no longer needed. If the agency could pick the green beans, it could have them, he said. But organizers couldn't gather the hundreds of volunteers needed. So, with the exception of about 1,000 pounds, he had to plow them under. "We are going through growing pains," Guy said. "It's the beginning of an experiment and seeing if we can develop a program out of it, but if we do, it has to be cost-effective." The scale of picking Viste's remaining apples was less daunting. Each tree held 20 to 40 bushels of apples, ready for baking, juice, sauce or just eating raw. "I'm outside, doing something to help," said Dianne Marti, of Maplewood, ignoring the rain. "I could have gone to the store and bought stuff to donate. This is better." Working on the same tree, Sunderta Kaur, of Minneapolis, agreed. "I like the idea," she said. "I know how much it means to the people who are going to receive them."
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