CINCINNATI — Chuck Blessing was never really much of a farmer. But he came from a large family, and his mom used to grow vegetables. Not because she loved it. Mostly, because it was cheaper than buying them.
Now 63, Blessing started his own garden on three acres of farmland in Mount Airy. He started it after his mom’s death a few years ago. And he started it in the same spot where she used to grow for his family.
How much money did you spend on it?
“Too much,” Blessing said.
He grows tomatoes, radishes, beets and carrots. In the barn near his farm, Blessing shows me his equipment. Some of it, he doesn’t use anymore. At first, he tried selling some of the produce he grew.
Now, he gives it all away. Because he saw how much he was wasting.
Blessing isn’t alone. Sue Plummer says up to 40% of food grown on farms like this can go to waste.
“Thousands to millions, depending on the farm,” Plummer said. “That’s where we come in.”
Find out what "gleaning" is in the video below:
Plummer is standing outside Blessing's barn, splashing me with water while washing 157 pounds of radishes. There’s a tub full of muddy water near her feet.
“You think all the dirt is off,” Plummer said. “And it’s not.”
Plummer is the Ohio program coordinator for the Society of St. Andrew. Last year, this nonprofit saved more than 1.2 million pounds of food in the Tri-State. That’s almost 5 million servings.
“If we don’t come out and do this work, it doesn’t get done,” Plummer said.
The work is called gleaning. And it’s why she’s here. To help harvest Blessing's food, clean it and donate it to local food pantries — ones she says need all the help they can get.
Because with potential cuts looming for food-stamp benefits, some worry it could get worse.
“The need has definitely gone up,” said Amanda Lukas, the area gleaning coordinator for the Society of St. Andrew.
Lukas' jeans are covered in mud. Soon, her car is stuffed full of radishes.
“Please come to us," Lukas said. "We don’t want this to go to waste. We want it to feed people.”
Blessing is retired now, and he only keeps the food he can eat himself. After an hour of work on a hot morning, he takes off his gloves. He begins tying string around posts in the ground.
“I always loved growing, but hated harvesting,” Blessing said. “So it’s nice that it helps people.”
Get involved:
Here’s the link to sign up to volunteer: mobilize.us/endhunger/ [mobilize.us].
For questions, contact the local Society of St. Andrew by email: sw-ohio@endhunger.org
