Labor of Love

By Paula Merritt

May 20, 2009 12:52 am

— Walking through green rows in a field with a picturesque blue sky above can only be enhanced by a cool breeze blowing the scent of fresh strawberries in your direction.
That's exactly what you get when stepping onto Randy Mathis's property in north Clark County where he has endless patches of strawberries and orchards of peaches. Mathis has generously donated his produce to help those in need.
Each year an organization called the Society of St. Andrew works with farmers and volunteers gleaning fields to help feed America's hungry. Tuesday the group and volunteers gathered at Mathis's farm to pick strawberries and peaches which will be donated to LOVE's Kitchen of Meridian and to God's Warehouse in Sturgis.
Jackie Usey, program coordinator with SoSA's Mississippi Gleaning Network, works each year to find farmers that allow them to salvage their fields after harvest, bringing millions of pounds of food to the needy.
American consumers tend to expect top quality and produce is only marketable if it is perfect, without blemishes or imperfections. You've heard the saying, "one man's garbage is another man's treasure," well the food gathered is certainly not garbage, but it is definitely a treasure.
Robert Fritchey, regional director, said the organization does this across the state and this is just the beginning of the season. They look forward to finding more farmers and volunteers to help them continue their project.
They can be contacted through their Web site at www.endhunger.org, or by calling their offices at (601) 850-4018.

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