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Farmers feed community through crop donations

Quad City Area farmers donated thousands of dollars worth of corn and soybeans to help fight hunger in Mercer County. One in 10 people in Mercer County lives in...

Quad City Area farmers donated thousands of dollars worth of corn and soybeans to help fight hunger in Mercer County.

One in 10 people in Mercer County lives in poverty, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Farmers spanning across five counties, Mercer, Rock Island, Stark, Henry and Whiteside, are given the option to donate bushels of corn or soybeans to the River Bend Foodbank. This year more than $21,000 worth of crops were donated, providing more than 10,000 meals for more than 100 families in Mercer County, said farmer Michael Zecher.

"It's an opportunity for farmers to really give back to our community," Zecher said. "The money for this program was specifically raised from farmer donations.

Zecher added, "Every fall and through early winter, farmers have the opportunity to contribute a certain number of bushels to the mobile food pantry."

More than 100 people gathered at Central Park in Aledo, Illinois on July 22, 2015 to stock-up on the donated food. While farmers are the ones who donate, the 50 volunteers allow the food bank to operate smoothly.

Children wheeled wagons down an assembly line of food, stacking one of each item in a person's basket.

The mobile food bank, which was initiated in 2010, has raised more than $126,000, according to Mercer County Farm Bureau President Jeff Kirwan.

Kirwan said farmers can begin donating bushels for next year starting in August. The deadline is typically in the beginning of January.

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