Sunday, August 16, 1998

Plenty of reasons to share a plentiful harvest

By Matt Markey

The stakes are straining to keep the tomato plants upright. The zucchini and cucumber vines have long since taken over the walkways, and now they are taking over each other. The pepper plants have lost a number of branches just from the weight of their own fruit.

It is a time of plenty in most family gardens. A time when all of the back-breaking work, all of the hours spent outdoors, pays major dividends around the dinner table. A time when the harvest quickly outgrows our ability to consume it, or preserve it for use another day.

After the extended family, the in-laws, the neighbors and the folks at work have had all of the fresh produce they can handle, a bounty still remains. Common sense tells us it should never be allowed to wither on the vine, fall victim to the heat, or ripen until it is no longer usable. There are other mouths to feed, right here on our piece of the map.

That lesson was stamped in the kids' memory from last year's days of plenty. They remembered what we did withall of the excess fruits and vegetables. They remembered that some people don't have gradens, or well-stocked pantries and freezers.

When harvest time hit last year, it was quickly evident that the garden's production would far exceed our needs. So when it started to rain tomatoes, when the squash were multiplying and spreading overnight, when we started to count the cukes by the dozens, and when the cabbage decided they would all mature at the same time, a few special harvest baskets were prepared.

These would go to people we did not know. Total strangers. Faces and names we had not see nor heard before. The concept intrigued the kids as they washed the vegetables and packed the boxes. Typical children of middle America, they had never gone hungry, or worried that the next meal would not be there when they needed it.

So boxes stuffed with squash and peppers, and beans and tomatoes, and cabbage and lettuce were slipped into the back of the truck. They were delivered to the Sharing Kitchen in Fostoria, a place where anyone in need of a meal can find one, at no charge and with no questions asked.

Many cities have such a place, a haven for those who have fallen on tough times, or those who seem to find tough times on their own. Their sole purpose at the Sharing Kitchen is to provide a meal, a smile, and a little attention to some folks that find such things are priceless.

There are others that can use the harvest as well. The elderly couple down the street that find gadening is just too difficult these days, but still enjoy those fresh delights. The single mom who doesn't have enough hours in the day as it is, but would take the time to prepare a nutritious meal if the ingredients were around. And the list goes on.

So whether you find yourself with an abundance of sweet corn, zucchini, or melons, there is a needy party close by that would have their quality of life enhanced by such a treat. Maybe there are a few venison roasts left in the freezer from last deer season, or a couple packages of fish you might not get to before their shelf life runs out. To the Sharing Kitchens of the area, and the needy individuals, such things provide a wholesome meal, and the feeling that someone cares.

As we reach the point where this year's harvest is about to overwhelm us, the kids reminded me that we need to ''take some food to those people at that cafeteria place.'' They made no judgments - they didn't say poor people or old people - just people. By giving last year, they learned a priceless lesson for life.

I'll miss that garden's bounty in February, when fresh-tomato withdrawal is at its high point, and the temptation hits to buy those red balls of hot-house fiberglass they're selling in the produce department of the grocery store. But we'll resist, and make plans for next year's garden, and the chance to again bring a little joy to the lives of others.