Eden Gleaners Offer Nutrient-Rich Food Through Unique Program
“Now when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. Nor shall you glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather the fallen fruit of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the needy and for the stranger.” Lev. 19:9-10
Sometimes it’s easy to forget where our food comes from; but Reverend Karen Pepmeier and Rev. Dr. Kristen Leslie of Eden Seminary never do. For the past 5 years Karen and Kristen have been the genius organizational team behind the Eden Seminary gleaning project. This program directly benefits half a dozen food pantries in St Louis and as many in Indiana where the food is grown.
Karen grew up on a farm in Indiana and knows multiple generations of farmers in Knox and Sullivan counties. These farmers are only too glad to share the bounty of their fields each year with those who often do without. Once crops are harvested from the fields, Lonny and half a dozen other farmers in the area, contact Karen. She and Kristen, and any others available to help, jump in the car and make the three and a half hour drive to Indiana. Upon arrival, they glean the remaining produce while it is still in peak condition and before the fields are turned over. Often there are folks on the Indiana end who will work the fields with them. Once their hard work is done they share a meal and celebrate the bounty.
This year alone, Karen and Kristen have made 13 trips to pick corn, potatoes, squash, pumpkins, broccoli and asparagus. Karen expects they will be making additional trips, as late as December, to gather the last of the broccoli. As a result of those efforts, over 12,000 pounds of fresh produce have been shared with food pantries and the communities they serve here in St Louis and in Indiana. Karen and Kristen also manage an extensive garden on the Eden Seminary campus to further support local pantries.
Isaiah 58 Ministries feels very fortunate to be a beneficiary of Eden Gleaners’ hard work. Our guests look forward to the fresh-from the field produce that Karen and Kristen deliver to our doorstep throughout the growing season. The generosity of all of those involved in the project allows Isaiah 58 Ministries to stretch donations received from supporting churches and individuals in order to serve the ever-growing number of guests affected by economic conditions and reductions in federal programs
The project is supported with grants from the United Church of Christ, United Methodist Churches and others who defray the cost of travel.
