THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, July 7, 1995 TAG: 9507040113
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 14 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY GARY EDWARDS, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 74 lines
City boy Joshua Harrell, 12, went out to the country to gather corn Tuesday. When he was finished, he had filled two pick-up trucks.
But the bounty wasn't for him.
Joshua, who attends Bow Creek Presbyterian Church in Virginia Beach, walked the rows of Bay Spring Farm, picking up ears of corn that had been left after the farmer's harvest.
``I've gone picking before with my mom, strawberries and stuff,'' he said. ``But this is the first time I've gone gleaning.''
Gleaning is a tradition that dates back to biblical times. After the farmer has finished harvesting, whatever is left is gathered up to help the poor, the needy, the homeless.
Joshua wasn't alone in his work. He was participating in a project of the Society of St. Andrew; part of a state-wide gleaning to help those in need, said frequent participant Nancy Tew of Chesapeake.
``We do this as often as two or three times a week,'' she said. Tew, wearing a red Glean Team T-shirt, was responsible for distributing the corn after the workers loaded it into large yellow sacks.
Tew was one of about 35 people from several area Presbyterian churches who gathered at John Cromwell's farm on New Bridge Ridge near Pungo.
``We picked May peas in Churchland on June 17,'' Tew said. ``Those went to the food bank.
``We have many farmers who donate to us after they've finished harvesting their fields.''
Dan Grimes of Newport News serves as ``hunger action enabler'' for the presbytery in Hampton Roads. He drove the truck up and down the harvested rows and coordinated the effort.
``I've been doing this for about 3 1/2 years,'' he said.
Tuesday's approximately 5,000 ears of spring snow, a sweet white corn, were destined for the Hope Haven Children's Home in Virginia Beach and three places in other area cities: the Oasis Social Ministry, the Her Shelter and the Park Place Shelter for Homeless Families.
``Half of it will go to the home in Virginia Beach,'' Tew said.
``Any non-profit agency that feeds people is eligible to receive the food.''
Cromwell watched the workers and talked about his role in gleaning. He has donated string beans and corn in the past.
``We've done it several times over the years,'' said Cromwell, who has owned the 167-acre farm since 1979. ``We harvest by hand. Go through and cut down the corn when it's ready. Whatever is left, we donate to the gleaning program.''
Cromwell used to harvest with machinery.
``If we still did that, there wouldn't be anything left to pick up. This was an early planting, so the crop was uneven.
``The corn still tastes as sweet, but the ears are smaller than our retail buyers want. No difference in quality, just in size,'' he said.
Robin Wooddell removed his hat and wiped his sweating brow. The associate pastor at Providence Presbyterian Church had just hosted a regional conference at his church.
``It's been going on for a while,'' he said. ``But, as you can tell, it's been a while since I've done it.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photos by STEVE EARLEY
Members of the Eastern Vriginia Presbytery glean corn from a field
at Bay Spring Farm.
Joni Tormohlen, an elder of Franklin Presbyterian Church, loads a
truck.
by CNB