Potatoes arrive for food banks

Local truck driver Brent Adam hauled 40,000 pounds of potatoes into Mt. Pleasant Friday and Packwood Saturday to be distributed to area food banks, churches and other organizations through a Society of St. Andrew Potato Drop project.

Through the combined efforts of Prairie View United Methodist Church Men, Pekin Ministerial Association, Mobile United Methodist Missionaries and the Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church Missions Committee, the potatoes were brought to the area for the ninth Potato Drop project in the last 10 years, according to information provided by Bill Anderson, one of the organizers.

Adam hauled the potatoes from Stevens Point, Wisconsin ? donating his time and the fuel for the round trip of more than 700 miles ? said Anderson.

Adam dropped 12,000 pounds of potatoes off at Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church Friday before traveling on to Prairie View United Methodist Church on Highway 78 near Packwood Road to drop off the remaining 28,000 pounds Saturday morning.

Prairie View youth and other volunteers loaded the 10-pound bags of potatoes into vehicles to be taken to 37 different food banks, churches and other organizations in southeast Iowa, including Washington Church of God, Washington Food Pantry and Washington County Development Center.

The organizations receive the potatoes for free. The cost of bagging and transporting the potatoes is funded through local churches, individuals, businesses and organizations.

?The Prairie View United Methodist Men are proud to be a leader in serving the needs of others,? said Anderson. ?It?s a labor of love.?

Although fog hung in the air Saturday morning, Anderson said the volunteers were working in some of the nicest temperatures they have had for some time during past Potato Drops. Last year?s distribution was accomplished in some of the coldest temperatures he could remember.

According to Anderson, Meals for Millions is part of a program established in 1979 through the Society of St. Andrew to help feed America?s hungry. Produce, such as potatoes with slight imperfections in size, shape, color, consistency or general appearance, is not marketable as No. 1 quality produce, so it is left in the field. Although the produce doesn?t meet the regulated standards, it still has its nutritional value, so growers are contracted to salvage the produce, wash, bag and store it for later distribution.

From January through September this year, nearly 20 million pounds of produce has been saved and distributed by the Society of St. Andrew.

According to Anderson?s information, a recent study shows about 52 percent of all produce grown in the United States is wasted.

?It is astounding fact that over 263 million pounds of food is wasted every day in this country,? said Anderson. ?These statistics indicate just how great the need is in America. We do not need to produce one more pound of food to end hunger here in our country. We just need to get this food to those that need it.?