September 6, 2023
news from the calvary food pantry - sept. 6, 2023
You can "BEE" sure there's lots going on at the LAF and Pantry! Just this past week, Garden Master Doug Kearney extracted honey from the hives leaving plenty of honey to hold the bees over the winter months. Doug reminds us that the honey is unique to our area. Pollination comes from local vegetation in our vicinity. Because of extremely generous donations of fresh produce from the Fletcher Rotary Club (corn & tomatoes), Tractor Farms (corn, potatoes, cucumber, squash, tomatoes, apples, micro greens, and herbs), Flavor-First (tomatoes, peppers, and corn) and LAF (garden-beans and tomatoes), it was a bountiful week of fresh produce. One of our "neighbors" commented to me last week how much better she feels eating fresh vegetables.
As our neighbors arrived on Saturday morning, Chef Linda was stirring up a delicious recipe of stir fry using fresh vegetables available in the pantry. This mouthwatering combination of rice and fresh veggies was scrumptious! Our neighbors enjoyed tasting the recipe as they waited to shop with a volunteer.
How blessed we were this week – to have extra volunteers helping with distribution on Saturday, a Manna delivery on Tuesday, harvesting in the garden, and stocking shelves on Friday. Ken is visiting friends and has become part of the "Pantry Family" as he has participated in all activities over the past week. Jim and Joann moved away a couple of years ago but whenever they're in town they volunteer and catch up with friends.
"Save the Date!" CECFP will be having our own Hunger Walk as part of the Henderson County Hunger Coalition 41sts Annual Walk. On Saturday, September 16, at 11:00 am we'll gather at the entrance to the pantry and walk to the garden and back. All are welcome to join us.
Another event happening this month is a Pancake Breakfast for our Neighbors on Saturday, September 23 from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. in our Parish Hall at the Church.
This week we welcomed 127 families representing 478 individuals. Ten new families had the opportunity to shop with a volunteer and select from the donations received this week.
We had lots of donations this week – Bimbos and City Bakery filled our bread racks with bread and bakery items. Bright Farms donated 20 cases of salad kits. Other donors include Flavor-First (tomatoes and corn), Wal-Mart and Big Lots (misc items and food), Project Dignity (feminine products), the Humane Society (dog/cat food) and MilkCo (milk). Nativity Lutheran, Fletcher Methodist, Calvary Episcopal, and the Tabernacle of Praise Churches and other anonymous donors contributed their time, food, and miscellaneous items during the week.
On behalf of the Executive Committee, thank you to our volunteers and our area churches, civic groups, local merchants, and families for all you do to feed our community helping to reduce food insecurity. We thank you and appreciate your food and monetary donations.
News from the Lord’s acre, fletcher - sept. 5, 2023
THURSDAY EVENING IN THE SOIL!
We had a good crew last Thursday in the garden, including some new workers who were experienced gardeners. (Not a requirement.)
This week at 6:30pm, we'll do a little harvesting, but mostly we'll pull spent tomato plants and weed in the collards. A big thanks for our regular crew, but we are always eager to welcome new workers. Sure, it's the end of summer, but the Lord's Acre, Fletcher has a long way to go.
MMMMM, HONEY!
We have lightly harvested six quarts of honey from the two LAF bee hives, leaving plenty for them to get through the winter. Our main goal is to provide a healthy environment for bees to thrive and do their pollinating thing. A little extra honey is just gravy, so to speak. We'll put most of the harvested honey in six-ounce jars to give to donors and others who have supported the Lord's Acre Garden.
Raised Bed Reminder
Can you use a portable drill or driver? Or will you help someone who can? Then this reminder is for you. On Saturday afternoons, October 14 and 21 at 1 pm, we will be assembling 28 ten-foot boxes for raised beds to replace the existing in-ground beds near the hoophouse. (They will be set in place at a later date.) Please set aside one or both of those days to help. The 2x12's will be pre-cut.
Soil as Sacramental
Garden workers will continue to have opportunity to get your hands in the soil over the next weeks: pulling spent plants, weeding around existing fall plants, and planting lettuce, and spinach for over-wintering. Here, from author Fred Bahnson, with whom some of you are familiar, is another reminder of what you have heard from me repeatedly: working in the soil is a spiritual exercise….
“Working with the soil opens us inward where we find a God eager to lavish upon us God's mercy and compassion and love. Soil also opens us outward, where we learn to receive the fruits of this good earth, and where we also discover that ours is not the only hunger. Soil work reveals the joyful messiness of human life where we find others who need us, and whom we need in return.” -- Fred Bahnson, Soil and Sacrament
