September 3, 2025

Food Pantry – August 30, 2025 -- Wow! What an incredible Saturday! Had to keep reminding myself that we weren't at the Ingles Cafe/Deli! As neighbors arrived in the gathering room, they were welcomed by the aroma of French Toast cooking on the griddle. Chef Martha was busily whisking the eggs and milk together, plating the French Toast, adding a bit of syrup and offering it to our neighbors. See the relationship Ingles Deli.......they distribute food.  Pantry- Chef Martha French Toast.......we distribute food. The icing on the cake was when Rita arrived with chicken and dumplings, beans, and cornbread for the volunteers.

A van of Christ School students arrived and immediately intermingled among the various volunteer stations.  Cooking pancakes, translating Spanish/English with new neighbors, assisted with shopping, helping at the meat and milk area, distributed personal care products, breaking down cardboard boxes to recycle, and pushing buggies loaded with groceries to our neighbor's cars. We appreciate their service on Saturday!

Saturday, we welcomed 116 families representing 416 individuals. There were 9 new families representing 29 family members. We continue to need volunteers who can help with Spanish registrations. Once a month would be very helpful!

On behalf of our Pantry Board, we express our heartfelt gratitude for your generous food and monetary donations to our pantry. Your donations will make a significant impact on the lives of those in our community.                

-Kathy Noyes, for the Executive Committee

The Lord’s Acre of Fletcher – September 2, 2025

Fertigation Boxes -- Thanks to Chris Lifka for building three boxes for our fertigation tanks which provide nitrogen boosts for the hoop houses and field. Some of our garden vegetables benefit from the nitrogen fertilizer (a soybean-based water-soluble powder) that is inserted into our regular drip irrigation. This is in addition to our applications of compost and chicken meal. The boxes shade the tanks, minimizing algae and degradation of the plastic.

Faithful Volunteers Continue Fall Planting – In recent weeks, pantry vendor and farmer vegetable donations have decreased, so the Lord’s Acre garden is even more critical to the pantry’s supply of quality produce. Thanks to our faithful volunteers as we step up our fall output with plantings of collards, cabbage, carrots, beets, broccoli, and beets.