Generous donation feeds the hungry
Gene Christopher of Christopher Farms consistently supports the Haywood Gleaners by donating his fruits and vegetables. Donated photo
The generosity of Waynesville farmer Gene Christopher has allowed the Haywood Gleaners to gather, box and deliver more than 4,000 pounds of apples to the food insecure of Haywood County in the past month.
For the past several years, Christopher has allowed the Haywood Gleaners to glean a variety of fruits and vegetables from his farm, and recently he extended an invitation to the group to “glean” from his warehouse cooler, pulling from post-harvested bins of Fuji, Rome and red delicious apples. In addition to the apples, Christopher donated new, expensive, grocery store-quality boxes in which to pack the apples. The two tons of apples were distributed to more than 30 recipient partner locations that assist food insecure people.
Since 2012, the Gleaners have received calls from Christopher and other local growers, the Mountain Research Station and home gardeners who continue to share their bounty with those challenged with food insecurity. Find out about volunteer opportunities at www.haywoodgleaners.org.
