I work in the office for a Montessori School. This school is very active in community activities/service. We got a call yesterday that a local farmer had a field of lettuce to be gleaned. The head of school asked me to drive my van for the "field" trip. We took our elementary. I had always thought gleaning was going into the fields AFTER the crops had been harvested. NOT SO in this case today. This was all first quality fresh lettuce, several different varieties - absolutely beautiful. The weather is beginning to get hot here in central Noarth Carolina, and the lettuce would go to waste in the fields. The group cut 44 cases packed tightly and enough bags to fill the back end of a pick up truck. A larger truck was coming later on to load the cases. This will be distributed to Soup kitchens, homeless shelters, low income housing, senior centers, etc. The students kept telling me how good it felt to be doing good for someone else. This food will be distributed today so lots and lots of people will have wonderful fresh lettuce on their table tonight.

wow, that must gave you all a happy feeling!!thanks for sharing1

how wonderful........*4u all

My parents retired, many years ago, and relocated in southern California, near Mexico. Needless to say, they were right smack in the middle of agriculture fields. I love the memories of going to the fields to pick up ALL YOU CAN TAKE! artichokes and asparagus, after the harvest. We took so much, we could never use it all--whatever we didn't take, was going to be plowed under. You were very fortunate to get "the first picked".

Thank you my dear for sharing such a wonderfully awesome act of kindness - you and the students learned a valuable lession today. Great idea and such a wonderful cause. *4U

1 comment

by ewroland 13 May 2009

Thank you Shirlene, it was a very valuable lesson. One of the teachers told me they would be getting a call during the summer to glean blueberries so she'll call me when she gets the call.

"Field" trip, love it!! I'm so glad your kids got to be involved in something so good and beneficial! How little it takes to give something back, and how grateful those people will be who receive it. With prices being what they are, I'm going to have to grow lettuce, I guess. And "gleaning" is usually going after the reapers to get what's left over. In this case, perhaps there wasn't enough lettuce to be 'profitable' to pay people to pick it, so that's why it would be 'left over', first quality or not. How kind the farmer was to think of others, get it picked for free, give the kids some hands-on way of helping the needy, and using something that would otherwise have gone to waste. Bless that farmer as well, if they could all do this, far fewer kids would go to bed hungry at night. Thanks so much for sharing!!! Hugs, Marji

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by ewroland 13 May 2009

It was a delightful experience.
I'm told this farmer is really gracious with his over abundance of produce.
They told me that usually at this time he is gleaning strawberries, but we had a cold spring and now a lot of rain. His lettuce crop flourised but his strawberries are suffering.
I never knew before today that such beautiful lettuce could be grown in this area.

I think it is wonderful that your school is active in the community. The kids learn so much more at these type of schools, pity is that with all the hype about having insurance etc, there aren't enough of them teaching these more valuable lessons.
hugs n roses, M

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by ewroland 13 May 2009

Hi Meganne, Are you feeling better Tonight? Or is it Morning where you live?

I just received an Email and our students Gleaned 1012 lbs of lettuce, 3004 servings!

That really DOES sound like an awesome day! It's so great that the kids felt so good about themselves, afterward! Sounds like they learned a few important lessons, today!