Farmers, in tough drought year, donate 37,000 pounds of produce in Albion FFA food drive

Photos by Tom Rivers: Albion FFA President Kaitlynn Basinait, left,  and Loralei Gailie moves a pallet of onions that were donated for the Albion FFA food drive. The FFA delivered 37,000 pounds of food to Community Action this morning which was distributed to food pantries in the community.

ALBION – The Albion FFA completed its annual food drive today and the farming community once again stepped up in a big way by giving 37,000 pounds of produce and canned food.

The farmers gave of their harvest in a tough growing year caused by a drought that diminished yields.

The farmers still set aside some of their crop for the annual food drive which the Albion FFA has spearheaded since 2010.

“Everybody still showed their support,”  said Albion FFA President Kaitlynn Basinait.

The FFA calls farmers to line up the donations. Basinait said many of the local growers had much smaller crops this year due to the lack of rain in the summer. Last year’s drive totaled 45,000 pounds.

The Albion FFA members and supporters pose for a group photo outside the ag shop at the school before taking the food to Community Action of Orleans & Genesee. The FFA is led by advisor Scott Oldenburg.

The FFA started the food drive in 2010 with 3,000 pounds in the first effort. The food drive record is 53,000 pounds in 2020.

Volunteers carry boxes of hams, turkeys and eggs to a cooler at Community Action. The agency will use that food for families during the upcoming holiday season. Community Action has 337 families receiving food and gifts.

The group of FFA students and volunteers and staff for Community Action pose before unloading trucks of produce. Panek Farms loaned the tractor trailer to transport the food from the school to Community Action.

The following farms donated to the food drive:

Nesbitt farm with apples, Poverty Hill Farms (Neal family) with butter, Charlie Swan with butter, Panek’s, Partyka’s with potatoes, East Farms with canned goods, Kirby’s farm Market with apples, Root Brothers with cabbage, Rush’s with potatoes, Preston’s with apples, Orchard Dale (Brown family) with apples, Kludt’s with squash, My-T Acres with potatoes and canned goods, Brightly’s with apples an assortment of squash, Triple G with onions and potatoes, CY Farms with onions, Stymus Farms with potatoes, Circle R with apples, Lynn-Ette and Sons with cabbage, Hurd Orchards with apples, Martin Farms with winter squash, Save-A-Lot in Albion with hams and turkeys, Heberle Farms with apples, Sungrow (formerly Intergrow) with tomatoes, Kreher’s with eggs.