127 volunteers descended on a small farm field near the Rich Maiden Golf Course Sept. 25 and harvested over 23,000 pounds of potatoes that are destined for food banks throughout five counties.
The event was part of the ongoing IHartHarvest (Potato Project) effort to utilize fields volunteered by area land owners to grow food for local residents in need. The project resulted from the vision of Walter and Linda Zawaski of Hamburg, and was kicked off in 2008 by volunteers from Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kutztown.
As its reputation grew, the project attracted helpers and sponsors from all over the area. This year’s crew included church groups and volunteers from First Tee of the Lehigh Valley. 67 of the participants came from Rotary clubs from Kutztown, Fleetwood, Muhlenburg, Reading, West Reading/Wyomissing, North Penn and Saucon. Rotary affiliated youth groups, Interact, from Wilson High School and Roteract, from Kutztown University also added significant numbers to the effort.
First Tee is a nationwide organization with the purpose of introducing children and teens to self discipline and life skills through the principals of golf.
The Rotary clubs of the area have supplied financial support and large numbers of volunteers since early in the project. In addition, a recent grant of $3,500 from Rotary District 7430, matched by the Kutztown Rotary Club allowed the project to purchase a used corn harvester combine.
Bob Hobaugh, who is a Kutztown Rotarian and Assistant District Governor of the club, commented that the Potato Project’s goal is to become financially self sustaining. The plan is to follow the same volunteer model to grow corn as a cash crop to make the project independent of donors from outside the Potato Project. The corn combine will further that part of the enterprise.
So far, local donors, including grants from Rotary and private contributions from many Rotarians, have provided silos, a tractor, potato harvester and a tilt-back trailer to the ongoing effort.
