Volunteers Harvest Potatoes for Local Food Banks

Dozens of volunteers worked in West Corners to harvest thousands of pounds of potatoes to be donated to area food assistance programs.

Young children, teenagers and seniors pitched in Saturday at a field off Route 26.

The potatoes were grown for an ongoing project sponsored by the Southern Tier Antique Tractor Club.

Club spokesman Jim Baker said the size of this year's potato crop was smaller than expected because of the lack of rain over the last four months.

Antique tractors and other equipment owned by club members were used to dig up rows of potatoes so they could be collected by volunteers.

Students from Seton Catholic Central High School in Binghamton were among those who helped to fill buckets, bags and boxes.

Large crates of potatoes were loaded into a Food Bank of the Southern Tier truck. The potatoes will be distributed to the Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse and other regional food programs.

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