Beans for Hungry Bellies

My classmate Kelly Wilson is interning on Voss Farm in Paynesville, MN and she's working both in the field and on marketing. One project is Beans for Hungry Bellies: for every dollar you donate, Doug and Beth Voss will donate 2 pounds of organic pinto beans to Second Harvest Heartland.

Here's the backstory: Doug and Beth grow pinto beans and have for last 2 or 3 years. Last year, the crop yield was lower than expected and they ended up with a semi-load and a half of beans. The elevator bought the first load, but wouldn't take the half. As a result, about 20,000 lbs of lovely organic pinto beans have been sitting patiently for about a year on their property.

So Doug and Beth looked for a solution and came up with the idea to donate them to people who really need it through Second Harvest Heartland. They've teamed up with Grace United Methodist Church to raise funds to cover cost of production and transportation, and one dollar just barely does it. The pinto beans will stay in the area, going to food shelves in Minnesota and Western Wisconsin.

How do you give? You can send a check, payable to Grace United Methodist Church with "Beans for Hungry Bellies" in the memo line to

Voss Farms
27725 Hwy 23
Paynesville, MN 56362

Or, talk to me. I'll be collecting cash and sending a check at the end of August.