Goodwill planting helps victims of water shortage

One farming family's gesture has yielded 237,760 pounds of produce for the Valley's needy.

Published online on Wednesday, Jul. 29, 2009

A 15-acre plot may not seem like much of a farm on the west side, where crops stretch for miles.

But the produce grown here isn't for sale. It goes to help some of the Valley's neediest families.

The Woolf Farming Co. planted 15 acres near Huron in early June to supply fresh produce to workers who have lost jobs or hours because of the Valley's water shortage.

Because of drought and environmental restrictions, farmers in the Westlands Water District have received less water this year, forcing them to fallow thousands of acres and lay off workers in Huron, Firebaugh and Mendota.

Morgan Woolf, a 20-year-old member of the farming family and a UC Davis student, organized the project that has produced about 119 tons of vegetables, including squash, three types of corn, jalapeño peppers and bell peppers.

The "garden," as Woolf calls it, has provided produce for the farming company's workers and countless families on the west side and throughout the Fresno area.

"We knew that people were suffering, and we wanted to do what we could," Woolf said.

"We also want to make it clear that the farming community does care about what is going on in these communities."

The Woolf family operates Los Gatos Tomato Products in Huron and also grows crops including pistachios, almonds, wheat, garlic and grapes.

"Although the drought has not hit us as bad as some other farms, we wanted our employees to take home some food because we knew that everyone knows someone who has lost a job or has had their hours cut," Woolf said.

Woolf, who is studying regional and community development, began working with several social service agencies, including FoodLink for Tulare County, the Salvation Army in Hanford and the Community Food Bank in Fresno.

Lisa Quiroz, food resource coordinator for the food bank in Fresno, welcomed the help.

The organization supplies food to 150 agencies in Fresno County.

"It is pretty unique to have someone set aside land and donate all the produce that comes from it," Quiroz said. "We are very lucky to have such generous people in the Valley."

Dana Wilkie, chief executive officer for the Fresno food bank, said the garden project comes at a time when the donations from some farmers have declined.

"It is not that there is a lack of interest -- the problem is that there are so many people who can barely stay in business because of the drought," Wilkie said.

Woolf said the project would not have been possible without the help of other agriculture companies that stepped in to help pick the crops and provide supplies.

Other farmers who have not been deeply hurt by water shortages also have come forward with donations of their own or have helped in the project, including Crop Production Services, Syngenta, TS&L, Pro Plant, Huron Ag, La Jolla Farms, Red Rock Ranch, Dresick Farms, Vasto Valley Cold Storage, Antonini Fruit Express, Hall Ag, Harris Ranch and Borba Farms.

"I got a call from a guy who wants to donate 5 tons of carrots and potatoes," Woolf said.

"And the more farmers are getting to know what we are doing, the more they want to help."