As this spring arrived, members of Mt. Zion Lutheran Church, Krumsville, planted a garden with the idea to donate the produce to area food pantries.

Now, the congregants are enjoying an immense harvest and have already started second and third plantings.

They were told the garden, a section of a field owned by the church but farmed by a local farmer, would not need fertilizer and that has proven to be true.

Five to eight people are in the garden Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. Delivery of the produce to food pantries depends on the day clients go to collect food.

So far, the church farmers have gathered 1,798 pounds of produce. They expected that number to go over 1,800 pounds by Labor Day.

Deliveries go to Brandywine Food Pantry, Topton; Manna Food Pantry and Friends, Kutztown, and the Greater Berks Food Bank, Shillington.

Fleetwood Food Pantry was added for once a month deliveries as there was too much for the other three to use.

“We have picked squash, tomatoes, string beans, cucumbers, red beets, snap peas, radishes, lettuce, kale, peppers, eggplant, miscellaneous melons and cabbage,” said Janice Clemmer, chair of the food project.

Helen Wessner was busy planting a second round of cabbages. Radishes and peas are on a second planting. A few items are already on a third planting.

Wessner weeds as she goes along.

They had 50 tomato plants and Kenneth Clemmer held a tomato up that was five-inches across. He said the pepper plants look more like pepper trees. They are at least three feet tall.

They bought a shed for storage by means of memorial contributions from a person who really enjoyed gardening before he passed on. Roof shingles were sold at $5 each with a sticky note attached to an inside wall to recognize purchasers.

Janice Clemmer packs the produce in boxes and keeps account of what has been picked.

A wagon was purchased, put together, and donated to the garden project by Blair Free.

“You carry these crates and they are heavy so we needed something,” he said.

“Janice has done a very nice job of getting the project going,” said Free. “You’re very good at it,” he added as he looked at Clemmer.