SCOTTS, Mich. — Thousands of potatoes are ready to be harvested at Tillers International outside Kalamazoo, and the farm is asking for help from the community.
Volunteers are needed to pick potatoes during the harvest.
“We’re inviting people from the community, to come and harvest the potatoes by hand,” said Kody Harris, Farm Manager for Tillers International.
The event will take place Saturday, Sept. 20, from 9 a.m. to noon. Volunteers can pick potatoes at the Tillers International farm.
“I’m hoping for a couple thousand potatoes, to come up out of the ground. About a quarter acre,” Harris said.
All harvested potatoes will be donated to Kalamazoo Loaves and Fishes. Harris explained that the goal of the farm isn't necessarily to grow crops — but educate. They're happy to share their bounty with the community.
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“We’ll use our draft horses, we’ll run a plow to the field, to unearth the potatoes. So it depends, a small group of people, we could do it in a day. But if we have a large crowd, we’ll get it done in a couple hours,” Harris said.
Tillers International’s main goal is education, said executive director Megan Yankee.
“The farm is really focused on sustainability. That is farming with tools, that are more akin to historic tools,” Yankee said.
Harris said he is grateful for the opportunity to give back and help people in the greater Kalamazoo area connect with their food.
“It makes you be able to understand something more fully, like where your food comes from. Which is such a human experience. I think it can make people more grateful, for what they have, and more caring of their neighbors —of just how this crazy thing called life works,” he said.
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