In 2011, our gleanings from Reed Valley Orchard in Bourbon County increased nearly 3-fold for a total of 23,749 pounds of peaches, apples, pears, and pumpkins.
- Mary Powell with Trudi Reed as she receives a gift of appreciation from Faith Feeds, a wooden bowl hand-crafted by Adrian Centers.
Orchard gleaning coordinator Mary Powell worked with owners Trudi and Dana Reed to best meet the needs of the orchard, ensure less fruit would be wasted on the ground, and increase donations to those in need.
Working with Trudi and Dana was a wonderful experience. They exemplify Christian charity in action, taking delight in each basket and truckload of fresh fruit that we gathered to help feed the hungry in Lexington.
Each week from July through November, one or more teams of volunteers drove out to RVO to glean fruit, starting with peaches, Asian and European pears, and then moving on in late August to the 50 different varieties of apples, and in November, finishing up with cushaws and pumpkins. In November 2011 alone we delivered nearly 5,000 pounds of fruit to God’s Pantry Food Bank, which promptly shipped it out to food banks in 15 different Kentucky counties.
Our volunteers ranged in age from 8 to 80, from Girl Scout troops, churches, local companies (LexMark and Valvoline), UK service organizations, and the regular stalwarts: Mary’s retired Hamilton Park neighbors and friends. Gleaning is the perfect ‘win-win’ experience, because everybody benefits: we enjoy the combination of fresh air, pleasant exercise, and a beautiful country setting and our recipients enjoy delicious fresh locally-grown fruit.
I volunteered at Reed Valley Orchard this past year. I got so much out of the experience. I did it with friends, people I like to hang out with. I got to spend time outside. It was great exercise, and staying physically active in retirement is a goal of mine. I got to help deliver this free food to the people who need it, meeting many of these people. This is just such a great experience — staying actively involved in ones community by gathering and distributing donated food to the places and people who need it!
– Sarah McHaffie, Gleaning Volunteer
Learn more about the orchard at www.reedvalleyorchard.org.
Excerpt from Faith Feed’s 2011 Annual Report.