Youth from Christ School spent time volunteering with us this past Saturday -- I would call them Generation A… (Assurance!!!) This group of young men arrived on the Pantry campus eager to begin working in the pantry and garden. Initially they made their way to the LAF (Lord's Acre of Fletcher) garden while it was still cool and weeded row after row of beans that were being taken over by the weeds. No task was too small for them to take on.
Read MoreThe late night thunder, lightning, and rain did not deter the hardy LAF harvesters. The sun was just rising in the east early Tuesday morning as Doug, Daniel, and Kim hand-picked almost thirty pounds of cucumbers, squash, and tomatoes. Many thanks to these hardy souls, as time to harvest is of the utmost essence as our forest friends found the garden "buffet." The next opportunity for LAF harvesting is on Thursday night at 6:30. Don't want to forget a huge thank you to all who contributed to the compost bins.
Read MoreThey say, "The early bird gets the worm!" Thanks to the many harvesters this week, no bears, raccoons, opossums, or nematodes got even one Mini Love watermelon. Yes, you are hearing it here first! Over a ton of fresh produce has been distributed to our neighbors this season. The squash, green beans, tomatoes, ground cherries, green peppers, cucumbers, and jalapeños just keep producing. We have finished gathering the beets. It's worth a "drive by" this week to see the large area beside the hoop house where the collards will be planted. We can always use one more planter on Thursdays at 6:30 p.m.
Read MoreYou Reap What You Sow" Do I hear an AMEN! Our neighbors are enjoying freshly picked produce weekly. In July over 800 pounds of vegetables were harvested by hand. Since the spring planting, we have distributed over 1,461 pounds of fresh produce and recorded 630 volunteer hours. Just as a personal note.... all our produce is organically grown. Thanks to grants that have funded drip lines etc. and steady seasonal rains, our produce does not have to be washed before distribution.
Read More911-911...No it's not that kind of emergency. Our goal is to distribute food weekly to aid in reducing food insecurity in our community. However, recently we have experienced some challenges of our own. Our 15 grocery carts are used throughout the week to collect donations in the foyer and to transport food items to the shelves. An average of 110 neighbors are shopping with them on Saturday mornings. The carts are sturdy, but the wheels have given out on 1/3 of the carts. The good news is Dan, with a little on-line research, was able to purchase "kits to repair the wheels." Nothing like having a AAA volunteer, called the SCR Man (Shopping Cart Repairman). Another recent challenge is the realization that our garden has doubled in size since last year.
Read MoreMany of us have a personal goal to make it a habit to eat healthier. Let me just say that volunteering at the Pantry/Garden, you are surrounded by healthy food reminders. Just last week a group of volunteers, the "Veggie Belles” harvested close to 200 pounds of vegetables: cucumbers, tomatoes, green peppers, jalapeños, squash, beets, and one watermelon. On Tuesday, the Servant Adventure Campers, from throughout the United States, weeded in the watermelons, blueberries, picked gallons of bush beans, and tasted ground cherries from the hoop house.
Read MoreOne of the many bright spots this week was the number of families who came and volunteered at the pantry and garden last Thursday night. There was a massive amount of work needed in the garden from weeding, to watering, and harvesting. Five members of the Stay family joined us in the garden to harvest beets, squash, and cucumbers. As a note: every part of the beet was harvested. The red leaves were cut from the stems, leaves were rinsed off, and along with the beet offered to the neighbors on Saturday morning. Michael and his dad were pulling weeds along the long rows of green beans that are full of bean blooms.
Read MoreReflecting on Saturday, July 1st at the Pantry and our upcoming week as we celebrate(d) the 4th of July, reminded me of the patriotic song, America the Beautiful. The lyrics include such phrases as spacious skies, amber waves, of grain, and purple mountains majesties.....from sea to shining sea. Have you noticed our glorious sunsets in the evening, our garden rows of flourishing greens, and the Pantry facing our Blue Ridge Mountains? America is the Beautiful! Reaching out the hand of friendship to our neighbors near and far, thank you volunteers and our area churches, civic groups, local merchants, and families for all you do to feed our community helping to reduce food insecurity.
Read MoreWhat a blessing it was for the Calvary Episcopal Church Food Pantry to be the recipient of the "Love Erin" outreach crew on Saturday. Christie Pickel, mother, shared the family's mission: "Love Erin" is to continue to share Erin's love and light to those in need. Ten members of Erin's family gathered to donate needed items (cereal and personal care products), shop with the pantry neighbors, and assist with carry out…filling 131 shopping carts with food and supplies. Our pictures this week represent the passion that filled our pantry on Saturday.
Read MoreQuiet on the Set! Last Wednesday, Kristen and Meredith, from MANNA, along with several volunteers from the Pantry arrived to be part of a PSA (Public Service Announcement). MANNA is in the process of providing information on the "Neighbor Shopping Model" for the community at large. MANNA serves many counties in Western North Carolina and wants to ensure that everyone understands about food insecurity in the community and resources available in their area.
Read MoreIt's one for the records! MANNA delivered items weighing 11,500 pounds on Tuesday. Tyson frozen chicken, canned goods, red and white onions, honeydew melons, oranges, apples, squash, and cabbages are some of the items we will distribute on Saturday morning between 8:00-11:00. We welcomed several new volunteers from Fletcher United Methodist Church who helped us efficiently place our record-breaking order efficiently on the shelves, in freezers and refrigerators. Grants for food and your monetary donations help us purchase food at a greatly reduced price from MANNA.
Read MoreLAST CALL for collards! Yes you heard it here first. Our spring harvesting is coming to an end. This Friday at 8:30 a.m. will be the final collard picking. Join us for this celebratory day as we are about 50% poundage above 2022. The only reason to mention this.... is that the number of neighbors shopping for food is up over 50% from last year. Our beets are also part of our spring planting and they won't be ready for a couple of weeks. Meanwhile, no idle hands in the garden as the tomatoes, peppers, beets, jalapenos, cucumbers, watermelon, and squash are peeking their tiny green stems above the fertile soil. Green beans were planted last week and with the soil temperature in the upper 60's you can rest assured that with these soaking rains we'll have some beans breaking ground in the near future.
Read MoreYes, That's a Tower of Collards!!! Last Friday before the Weather Warn days, volunteers collected 66 pounds of collards. A total of eighty seven pounds were harvested, packaged, and distributed to our neighbors along with fresh Bibb lettuce from the garden. On Thursday, WLOS videoed three segments to be aired on the Carolina Kitchen. Chef Martha used romaine lettuce from the garden to "wrap-up" tasty spicy sautéed beans from the pantry. Next she gathered some herbs from the raised beds by the pergola and added them to the sliced and chopped fresh collards topped with sesame seeds for a fresh green salad.
Read More"We are Marching in the Light of God…" could be heard throughout the Lord's Acre, our garden, as Father J. sang a cappella. The community was there to celebrate Rogation Day with the Blessing of the Garden, Hoop House, churchyard, and Tierra Fertil. Many of our community friends and volunteers including Nativity Lutheran, Fletcher United Methodist, Feed and Seed, Calvary Episcopal, and Tierra Fertil participated in the procession, singing, and Blessing of the garden. Father J. concluded with a blessing for protection of the garden and all who labor, that the plants may bear good fruit and our area for the earth.
Read MoreAn interesting phone call from Arlington, Virginia concerning what type of nutritional communication the pantry provides our "neighbors" or with our food. Hmmmmm...Where do you begin in responding about a pantry that has been in operation since 2009? We have evolved from distributing a box of food from a closet to a stand-alone building. Along the way have we increased our awareness on the impact of healthy nutrition options for our "neighbors." Food items are not randomly placed on a shelf. Lots of research and support from agencies like MANNA have provided a framework for us.
Read MoreJournal entry for May 4th...... First harvest of the season at the Lord's Acre of Fletcher! Volunteers traveled up and down the rows of collards snipping the tender leaves and gently placing them in containers for Saturday distribution. Fifty-four pounds of collards were gathered and stored in the pantry until Saturday morning. Our leaf lettuce will fill our baskets in about a week and there will be more collards ready. Herbs, donated from the French Broad Garden Club, fill our raised beds by the pergola. Chef Martha uses them often to flavor the recipes she prepares for the neighbors on Saturday mornings.
Read MoreGoing once, Going twice.........ooops you might have missed it if you weren't on the campus of Calvary Episcopal Church last week. The community turned out daily between 9-4 to donate lots of treasures — from a Barbie house, Instapot, golf clubs, a bunk bed, books, linens, a bicycle, wreaths, framed and unframed art, seasonal decorations, sets of china and flatware, a kayak complete with oar and life vest, and three pick-up truck loads of flowers from Van Wingerden, International. Folks were lined up in the rain on Saturday well before the doors opened.
Read MoreQuiet on the Set! Lights! Action! Yes...., You are looking at a videographer with the United Way of Henderson County along with several of our pantry volunteers. UWHC is in the process of producing a short community impact video highlighting some funded partners. Our pantry operates on the MANNA neighbor shopping model which they wanted to highlight. We offer neighbors the opportunity to shop, using a grocery cart, to choose from a variety of foods within specific categories. Thank you to our volunteers, Carol R., Carol C., Jeff, and Martha who shopped, distributed meat, milk, and eggs, and helped with carry out.
Read MoreEagle Scout candidate, Mason Heth, and members of his scout troop worked Saturday afternoon in The Lord's Acre of Fletcher constructing two picnic tables. Over the winter and into early spring, Mason raised the funds to purchase supplies needed for the tables. Boards were purchased and cut into lengths for the benches, tops, and supporting structure pieces. As the scouts under the supervision of Mason began the construction task, his leadership skills were evident. He circulated throughout the site encouraging each scout in their particular task, and modeling when needed. For example how to use an electric sander. When the project was complete, Mason's father had hot pizza ready for the hungry scouts. Please come by the garden and enjoy "time at the tables" and the garden.
Read MoreWhen our neighbors arrived on Saturday morning, they were so appreciative of all the time and effort that the pantry volunteers had spent in preparation for food distribution and items for a tasty Easter meal. Not only were the shelves stocked with over 4,556.5 pounds of additional food items that have been delivered over the past two weeks from a Manna Food Drive.....(that's over two tons)....they also received a ham, a bag of potatoes, fresh green beans, a can of pineapple, dinner rolls, and a stick of butter. VERITAS provided Easter cards and two baskets of food items collected by their third graders. Hendersonville Middle School's entire student body participated in their food drive which was sponsored by the Student Council. Several representatives from the Student Council were ambassadors for the school and helped unload the 812 pounds of food items last Thursday.
Read More
