Published: September 19, 2008 11:49 pm      

Harvest with a Heart

MILFORD, Ind. — When Milford residents Ann Schlabach and Nancy Haines started wondering what they could do with all the extra produce that comes out of their garden every year, they had a novel idea.

The two brought their friend Angel Hardy into the fold, knowing she would also be interested, and Harvest with a Heart was born.

Harvest with a Heart has now been running for a little more than two months, and the charity garden market is a smash hit.

“We didn’t know how it would go when we got started,” Haines said. “The community has totally supported us.”

In the time the market has been open, the women have collected almost 4,000 pounds of produce and collected approximately $1,600 in donations for various organizations in the area. They have also received donations for the market, including three refrigerators and picking rights on an 11-acre apple orchard. In one trip, they brought back about 240 pounds of apples.

“People are always calling, wanting to donate. It is so rewarding,” Hardy said.

All of the food is either grown by one of the three, donated by a local gardener or donated by a local farmer. Some market patrons have already told the women they intend to plant an extra row of vegetables next year for the express purpose of donating it. Corn is one of the most common donations, and the women say 350 pounds of it can go in an hour and a half.

“A farmer will be bringing a load of corn in and someone will yell ‘Just put it in my trunk!’ before he can even get it in the door!” Haines said.

The market is located at the corner of Main and Emeline streets in downtown Milford. On Fridays from 7 a.m. to noon, people can visit and pick up whatever produce they desire for a recommended minimum donation of 25 cents per item. Money for the donations can be placed in one of several different jars depending on where the patron would like that money donated. After closing for the day, all the leftover produce is collected and delivered to local homeless shelters so nothing goes to waste.

In addition to food, the market also has soap, reusable canvas bags, cookbooks and decorated rocks.

As this is the market’s first year, the women have not yet decided what they will do during the winter.

“We’re still really stocked, so we’ll keep going until people stop bringing stuff in. We hope to have more pumpkins and some winter squash. Then, if anyone has a second harvest we may get more green beans and some other produce,” Haines said.

According to Hardy, running the market is a lot of hard work. All three are mothers, with eight children between them. They come in to work as they finish getting their children ready and off to school.

“It’s hard work, but we’re the lucky ones,” she said. “We just love it.”