Hamburg Rotarian Earl Knauss Honored

Hamburg Rotarian Earl Knauss was surrounded by a crowd of about 100 friends, family and fellow Rotarians who gathered at the Wanakah Country Club in Hamburg April 15 to celebrate the culmination of his many decades of service to the greater Western New York community through Rotary and beyond. The 51-year-member of the Rotary Club of Hamburg was honored on a global level with an homage to his exemplary service in founding the Farm to Family Program that provides fresh produce to distribution centers throughout Western New York.

Knauss earned Rotary International’s highest honor, the distinguished Service Above Self Award which was presented to him by a slate of District 7090 officials, including Past District Gov. Scott Marcin, who nominated him for the award. Marcin, a Hamburg resident who is a member of the Amherst Rotary Club, had experienced Farm to Family first-hand as a volunteer working alongside Knauss and was impressed by the scope of the program. Assisting in the presentation were District Governor Aaron Carlson and District Governor Elect Joanne Serkeyn. The international prize is limited to 150 recipients annually and “celebrates people of action who are committed to service.” Rotary District 7090 consists of Western New York and Southern Ontario, Canada.

PHOTO (L to R): Earl Knauss with Past District Governor Scott Marcin, along with District Governor Aaron Carlson and District Governor-elect Joanne Serkeyn

Hamburg Rotarian Tom Johnston, who has been instrumental in supporting the Farm to Family Program was unable to attend but President John Nowak read a message from him that included humor and commendation. His words reflected the thoughts of many. “Earl, no one deserves the Service Above Self Award more than you for volunteering your time, talent, and commitment to help others,”  he said, adding that since its beginnings, the accumulated vegetable distribution to date totaled more than 1,250,000 pounds. Farm to Family distributed 197,000 pounds of produce last year and 165,000 pounds in 2024.

Knauss was lauded by Rotary President John Nowak, the district representatives and Village of Hamburg Mayor Thomas Tallman before a receptive diverse audience who responded with enthusiastic applause. On hand were the Eden farm families front and center. Their sprawling fields provide the produce that sustains the Farm to Family Program. The generosity of the farmers has enabled Knauss and his legion of volunteers to deliver the tons of vegetables to the centers that provide them to the families. Farms donating fresh produce in 2025 were Amos Zittel & Sons, W.D. Henry & Sons, Agle’s Farm Market and Henry’s Gardens. Mike Chiavetta provided potatoes to the program at a discounted rate. Farm to Family operations run from May through December, six days a week, depending on the weather and crops are in season.

Representatives of several of the organizations that receive the produce were there, too, sprinkled among the crowd to honor their friend. Dee Sery of Catholic Charities was in attendance, along with a contingent from and St. Luke’s Mission of Mercy, Dennis Gilhooley, Sue Gilhooley, Sandy Bernstein, and Charlene Mallory. The award presentation drew many who enjoyed the opportunity to honor the man who quietly started the program independently in 2007, with Rotary assuming it in 2018 and naming it Farm to Family, guiding its growth and ensuring its endurance. Hamburg Rotary has been operating the Farm to Family Program since that time through the coordination of the founder.

Knauss, 94, recalled how his journey began. The vegetable distribution had its start when a neighboring farmer in Eden gave Knauss vegetables that were considered unmarketable because of their appearance. The red peppers had been destined for the garbage heap as they were misshapen. Knauss shared the veggies with a local food pantry and returned to the farm the following year to ask for more rejects. The farmer agreed, with two additional farms soon joining the effort, providing the edible but homely vegetables that Knauss took to more food pantries. Today, Farm to Family distributes produce throughout Western New York through a volunteer labor force, each season. Among the 31 distribution sites, the largest are Catholic Charities of Buffalo and WNY, the Resurrection Food Pantry in Cheektowaga and the SS. Peter and Paul Food Pantry in Hamburg with over 3000 families served weekly.

Knauss and Hamburg Rotary Public Image Co-Chair Eileen Hotho were invited to speak about the establishment of Farm to Family to a global audience via a webinar in 2024 hosted by ESRAG, Environmental Sustainability Rotary Action Groug. Interest in the program flared following the December 2023 publication of Hotho’s summarized Farm to Family article in Rotary Magazine, which circulates internationally. Additional participants were Marcin, Johnston, Nowak, and Tim Straube.

The exhilaration of the festivities at Wanakah Country Club celebrating Knauss as a recipient of the Service Above Self Award rose a notch when a benefactor added his complimentary remarks to those of the speakers before him and unveiled another exciting development. Scott Bieler, CEO of West Herr Automotive Group honored Knauss on the occasion of the Rotary award by donating a pickup truck for Farm to Family. The white Ford F-350 one-ton capacity vehicle will soon be put into service for delivery of fresh produce from Eden farms to 31food distribution centers throughout Western New York. The donation was through the Scott Bieler Family Foundation and West Herr Foundation.

The second vehicle was a strategic gift as Rotary bears all costs of Farm to Family, including maintenance and fuel, supplemented by donations such as the ultimate generosity displayed by Bieler, who donated another vehicle for the program two years ago. The current donation, a 2025 Ford F-350 with 3,000 miles on it was on display in the parking lot.

PHOTO: Recognition with a special gift – Scott Bieler, CEO of West Herr Automotive Group honored Knauss on the occasion of the Rotary celebration with the donation of a pickup truck to support its Farm to Family Program. The white Ford F-350 one-ton capacity vehicle will soon be put into service for delivery of fresh produce from local farms to food distribution centers throughout Western New York. Scott Bieler, left, is shown with Rotary President John Nowak, right, who served as master of ceremonies.