>La Grande Observer | Union and Wallowa Counties' News Leader

Kamille Kestie, 10, and Keanna Kestie, 8, both of Union, hold some of the bounty they helped cultivate in the Great American Harvest fields off Gekeler Lane. Barb Richmond-Harris, founder of Great American Harvest, has decided to end the program, which raises and collects produce for charities, at the conclusion of this, its fifth, season, due to family commitments and the harvest’s logistical and financial difficulties. But she hopes others will take up the spirit of the harvest. - Submitted photo

Barbara Richmond-Harris, the group’s founder, said a confluence of logistical and familial issues led her to the difficult decision.

“I personally and financially cannot do it anymore,” she said.

Richmond-Harris implements the project with the help of her family and a cadre of volunteers. But she said this isn’t sustainable.

“We have a group of people that wants to help and it’s normally the same group of people,” she said. “But we can’t run this project like that.”

She said she felt the harvest was placing undue “pressure and stress” on its regular donors.

The harvest, which began in 2004, funnels both locally-grown and donated produce to food banks, individuals and others who need it in the region. Anyone who picks in the Great American Harvest fields off Gekeler Lane near Cove may take home half of what they glean; the rest goes to charity.

“I don’t think it’s just the concept of helping another person,” she said. “It’s the concept of helping your community.”

Even faced with a variety of important commitments to family and the harvest’s ever-present costs and liability, Richmond-Harris said she struggled with the decision to discontinue the operation.

“This project ties me up from February through November in one form or the other,” she noted.

“I ran this program on a promise and a prayer,” she added. “Unfortunately, not all of my prayers came through.”

She said she hoped others would take on Great American Harvest’s spirit. Indeed, she’s already had some response from interested parties.

“Maybe you can break the project into smaller parts,” she said.

Richmond-Harris’s husband, John, who’s been heavily involved in the harvest, agrees. “It might be a lot easier for a group of people to take it over,” he said.

Richmond-Harris said she would offer advice and assistance to any interested in tackling the venture in some form or another.

“Somebody’s going to have to walk into this project, and most importantly, have the time and funds to see it through,” she noted.

The decision comes on the heels of a major milestone for the harvest: Richmond-Harris estimates that this year’s work will push the program’s five-season donation total to one million pounds of food.

The harvest had also begun to attract interest well beyond the boundaries of Union County. Richmond-Harris has recently been discussing the logistics of such a charitable venture with curious parties as far away as Oregon City.

Importantly, Richmond-Harris said, “The doors don’t close today.”

She said, “Providing those funds are there, I will continue with business as usual through the end of the year.”

This means more harvesting in the summer, and turkey giveaways at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Anyone willing to help out with the continuing work is free to contact Richmond-Harris — as are those who might want to take up the mantle. She can be best reached at 910-8908 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Sponsors of Great American Harvest will have their names retained on donor boards on site through the end of 2009.

Melvin Lawyer, who helps run the community food bank in North Powder with his wife Joyce, said Richmond-Harris and Great American Harvest had been a great help in their efforts.

“She’s helped North Powder quite a lot and we appreciate it,” he said. “She’s done a great deal for us.”

Holli Diamond, Salvation Army coordinator for Baker, Union and Wallowa counties, said Great American Harvest helped provide turkeys for 150 families at last year’s Thanksgiving.

“She did an extraordinary job and helped out significantly,” Diamond said. “I don’t know that I would have had enough turkeys for everybody without her help.”

Lorri Rickman of Union said the harvest will be missed beyond the tangible charity of its food donations. Her daughters, Kamille, 10, and Keanna, 8, learned much from planting and harvesting out in the fields.

“This experience has taught them lessons in gardening that they will carry with them the rest of their lives, and they are so anxious to share this experience with their peers,” Rickman said. “And, hopefully, it helps someone else learn how to grow their own food and help themselves.”

That may be the best tribute to the lasting power of Richmond-Harris’s vision.