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Walking past a row of neatly parked tractors through grass still wet with morning dew, cheerful greetings and warm smiles welcomed us to the Surry County home and farm of Phillip Branch.
Joining some 80 other volunteers gathered beneath a shelter, we listened in as Phillip described the heroic efforts put forth by his grandson and friends throughout the night leading up to this morning harvest event. A herd of deer and renegade raccoons bent on getting a taste of the two acres of early corn promised to Second Harvest Food Bank needed to be thwarted. In the end, Phillip joked, “The bonfires and blaring radios were mostly effective, though I’ll be darned, some of those critters still managed to enjoy dinner by candlelight and music.”
Looking out across the crowd of all ages, Phillip called to us to draw closer. Through misty eyes, he gave thanks to all for rising so early to be a part of the special harvest, and especially to the preachers present who had put out the call for volunteers and made possible this day of feeding community on so many levels.
Though this was the first year Phillip grew corn specifically to support our food bank, he and his family have been sharing the yields from their 17-acre “grocery crop” with friends and neighbors for more than 15 years. Phillip gives high praises to his wife Wanda for coordinating the many calls that come in each year and also to three special friends, preachers who personally deliver much of the corn, sweet potatoes, white potatoes and tomatoes to homebound seniors and families who are struggling through difficult times.
A construction supervisor by trade, Phillip’s annual bonus provides the funds for his efforts as a “gentleman farmer.” In his frequent travels across a 14-state territory, Phillip says he sees a lot of beauty and a lot of heartache, too.
“Every year it has gotten worse – the shuttered and abandoned building, the people living on the streets. When I hit the road, I take whatever is ready with me to share, but this, what we are doing, takes a community effort, and with Second Harvest the circle has widened.”
Though the nearly two acres of corn that made its way back to Second Harvest Food Bank is long gone – distributed through our network of partner agencies across the region to neighbors in need – we give thanks to Phillip Branch and others like him who share from the their abundant farm and garden yields to provide fresh and wholesome foods to our organization and others – so no one goes hungry.
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