I got the call at 4:00 in the afternoon, “Scott, it’s Earl. Can you be at the Greenhouses at 8:30 tomorrow morning?” It was Earl Knauss, of the Rotary Club of Hamburg. It is now growing season for the farms in Erie County, and as a result, the Farm to Family Program, begun by Earl and adopted by the members of the Rotary Club of Hamburg, was ready to spring into action. “Yes, I will be there,” I enthusiastically responded.I got to Zittel Farms greenhouse at 8:30 a.m. Earl Knauss, all 92 years of him, was already waiting and putting together the order of pick-up and delivery. We were to get cucumbers, zucchini, corn on the cob, and potted strawberry plants. Afterwards, it was off to the Resurrection Life Food Pantry in Cheektowaga for delivery. There we met director, Kim Reynolds, who warmly greeted us, showed us the immense facility, and then thanked Earl for his contributions to their food pantry program.
It was a rewarding morning to be a Rotarian, but for Earl, it was just Tuesday, and plans for lining up volunteers for the Wednesday food pickup had to be made. This effort will continue all throughout the growing months, and the pickups will change based on the food being picked at that time. And you can be certain that Farm to Family, Earl Knauss and the Rotary Club of Hamburg will be ready to pick up and deliver those foods to those most in need in our community. They will be making a difference. They will be making someone’s life just a little bit better than it was before.
Earl Knauss is the example of what it means to be a Rotarian.
- Scott Marcin
I had become aware of the Farm to Family program after attending a club meeting and meeting Earl. I wanted to see, firsthand, how this program worked, and learn about how a club can make a meaningful impact in the community by addressing the issue of, not only food insecurity, but food inequity.It is no secret that many in our community suffer from the issue of food insecurity. In fact, one of the larger suppliers of food to numerous food pantries, FeedMore WNY, cites the 1.4 million meals served in the community, by the 300 or so pantries in WNY. That is a staggering number to get your arms around. That is an amazing effort by so many volunteers to support so many in our towns and communities, but there is something missing from the equation.
The majority of food provided to people who suffer food insecurity is usually packaged food or shelf ready food. There is often a lack of fresh vegetables and fruit that would create a healthier diet for those in need.
Here is where Earl Knauss comes into the picture. Earl is a 50-year Rotarian from the Rotary Club of Hamburg. Many years ago, a farmer friend of Earl’s gave him 3 bushels of peppers that could not be sold to a supermarket or store. The peppers were perfectly fine to eat, though some may have been a bit small, misshapen, or suffered a blemish. Earl quickly shared the bounty with friends, but wondered how much other food was going to waste, or thrown out by our farms in our area.
It is estimated that between 30% and 40% of all food grown by farmers in the US will go to waste each year, which is approximately 92 Billion (yes, Billion) pounds of food. In light of the issue of food insecurity and food inequality, this is a tragic statistic. The problem quickly stated: How do we get the food going to waste, into the hands of those who suffer from food insecurity?
Into this 
equation steps Earl Knauss. With the use of an old truck, Earl set out to visit the local farms in Eden, NY to find out what vegetables would not be sold, and what would be thrown out. He wanted to take those vegetables and bring them to the local food pantries for distribution. And what started out with humble beginnings in 2007, with Earl using his own truck to pick up and deliver fresh vegetables, now has turned into a 6 month, 6 day a week service project, with a team of 17 volunteers, made up of Rotarians and friends of Rotarians, all pulling together to meet this need in our community.
equation steps Earl Knauss. With the use of an old truck, Earl set out to visit the local farms in Eden, NY to find out what vegetables would not be sold, and what would be thrown out. He wanted to take those vegetables and bring them to the local food pantries for distribution. And what started out with humble beginnings in 2007, with Earl using his own truck to pick up and deliver fresh vegetables, now has turned into a 6 month, 6 day a week service project, with a team of 17 volunteers, made up of Rotarians and friends of Rotarians, all pulling together to meet this need in our community.The Rot
ary Club of Hamburg purchased a truck for the Farm to Family Program in 2019, and now is looking to add a second truck to their operations (breaking news coming on this front!).
ary Club of Hamburg purchased a truck for the Farm to Family Program in 2019, and now is looking to add a second truck to their operations (breaking news coming on this front!).With the assistance of 3 farms in Eden, NY, a total of 22 food pantries (soon to be 26) are being supplied with vegetables and fruit to serve their communities.
This project is the epitome of the collaboration of Rotary and its local partners to bring hope to our needy communities, and bring relief to the issue of food inequality.
It really is a display of our motto of “Service Above Self,” and it is a great example of a Rotary Club doing its own community needs assessment and finding a way to meet that need.
