‘An innate need to give’ Farm-fresh produce gleaned for Virginians in need is a complicated, expensive, but worthwhile effort BY NICOLE ZEMA
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VIRGINIA FARM BUREAU NEWS
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fter the biggest ears of sweet corn were harvested for retail at Parker Farms in Westmoreland County, 30 volunteer gleaners spent a Saturday morning combing the stalks for smaller, but equally nutritious, ears left behind. Father Brian Bashista, pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Roman Catholic Church in Prince William County, said the charitable handson experience goes beyond writing a check. “We’ve had it on our heart to farmglean for a couple years and finally connected with the wonderful folks
here,” he said, tossing fresh corn into his satchel. “There are very generous farmowners who allow this to happen.” With such abundance in this country, he said, it’s amazing how much goes to waste. It’s a simple concept—there is enough fresh produce for foodinsecure families in Virginia. But complex logistical challenges must be navigated to get perishable items from farm fields to their plates. “We believe it is our baptismal call to feed the hungry,” Bastista said. “People have an innate need to give, and we have to create opportunities to do that.”
