Clergy Event Center 

Sharing the harvest

Brian Sapp-Moore

“When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest; you shall leave them for the poor and for the alien: I am the Lord your God.” Leviticus 19:22

“When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be left for the alien, the orphan, and the widow, so that the Lord your God may bless you in all your undertakings. When you beat your olive trees, do not strip what is left; it shall be for the alien, the orphan, and the widow. “When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, do not glean what is left; it shall be for the alien, the orphan, and the widow. Deuteronomy 24: 19-21

God directed farmers to leave the edge of their fields unharvested, not pick up what was dropped or go again to the fields or to grapevines after what might have been overlooked. In the absence of food banks, this provided food for the very poor and “strangers,” which would be immigrants. The Book of Ruth tells the story of Ruth, the Moabite gleaning the fields to provide for herself and her mother-in-law as both were widows. In scripture, God repeatedly reminds the people of Israel that they had been strangers in many lands and God had provided for them. Allowing those in need to glean offered the opportunity to “pay it forward” for others. 

Again this year, All Saints’ will partner with gleaners from the Society of St. Andrew and Barbee Farms to provide fresh produce to CCM. In 2021, this yielded nearly seven tons! In 2022, it was closer to EIGHT tons!

Gleaning 

  • prevents the wasting of quality food, 
  • provides access to fresh, nutritious foods for those who are hungry in our community,
  • supports the mission of CCM by expanding their resources to serve those in need, and
  • builds relationships between community members and local farmers. 

If you are interested in lending a hand to transport food from Barbee Farms to CCM this summer, please contact Don Foskey at donald.foskey@gmail.com.

Blessings,

Nancy+