Brotherly Love: Farming For A Food Bank
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — A farm in West Chester is showing how much good can be done on just a little land.
Most of Pete Flynn's peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, and more are destined for the shelves of Pete's Produce Farm, his bustling West Chester market. But not all.
"There is a need in this county," Pete said, so part of his farmland is growing vegetables specifically for the Chester County Food Bank.
Brotherly Love: Making Fantastic Friends
"We're the wealthiest county in Pennsylvania, and it's hard to believe that there are people that need food," Pete said.
Since 1996, Pete has set aside part of his farmland solely for hunger outreach in Chester County. This year, it's three acres out of 200.
Food bank executive director Larry Welsch says this kind of farming is exactly what the food bank needed.
"There wasn't much access to fresh produce," Larry said. "Food banks have always been known kind of as the domain of canned corn and peanut butter."
Larry estimates Pete is supplying 70,000 pounds of food a year. Hundreds of volunteers help harvest.
"Fresh vegetables is really what this food bank wanted to focus on when we came into being, and that's what Pete was able to provide for us," Larry said.
Pete says he has another motive: saving Chester County farmland.
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"I want to show people what two acres or a building lot can produce other than a house," Pete said.
Sometimes in the store, Pete gets a thank you from someone who received his produce.
"I mean, that's why we do this," Pete said.
If you're interested in finding out more about the Chester County Food Bank, check it out here.
