Big crop of volunteers come out for 10th annual Sweet Corn Picking with Food Bank of the Rockies - Fort Morgan Times

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Dozens of volunteers came out for the 10th annual Sweet Corn Picking event on Saturday, Aug. 14 in Fort Morgan.

The event started ten years ago when Mike Kosman and Bruce Postovit decided to grow sweet corn for those in need and then went on to partner with the Food Bank of the Rockies. Now they grow five acres of sweet corn and will donate nearly 125,000 ears of sweet corn this year.

“Unfortunately, my husband passed in 2015 but it’s still really important to our family and our family’s legacy to still be able to do this,” said Kerri Kosman. “Now we lease the farm out to Trevor and Shelby Birky and they have been gracious enough to carry on this legacy and grow the corn and do the work.”

This is the Birkys’ third year helping to grow the sweet corn that will be distributed across hundreds of organizations to help feed those in need.

“This is Mike’s event more than anybody else’s,” said Trevor Birky. “The first year that I did it, it was crazy, just the community aspect of it. Last year we were excited again and then COVID hit and it’s like ‘oh no, what do we do? The people need corn now more than ever.’”

Despite the difficulties brought on by the pandemic in 2020, the Birkys were determined to ensure people would still have fresh sweet corn.

“My father-in-law stepped in and helped me get a sweet corn picker,” said Trevor. “We picked that up a week before the corn pick and we actually picked everything one row at a time with just a handful of people and then that’s when these new stations came in.”

Volunteers can now work at individual stations that follow COVID-19 regulations. Dozens of boxes filled with pre-picked sweet corn are carefully organized at the field where volunteers can then work to put the ears of corn into bags that are then loaded onto the trucks.

“They’re all COVID regulated so people can feel safe bringing their family around each box. We had everything picked prior and then we started the boxes last year and we were still able to fill up a trailer and a half. This year we ramped the yield up even more so we are going to make sure we fill both trailers up this year and hopefully get it to the people that need it and let everybody in the community come in and get some.”

The Food Bank of the Rockies sends two 53-foot semi-trucks with pallets to be loaded at the event. Once the trucks are loaded, they are then driven to the Food Bank of the Rockies facility in Northeast Denver.

From there they will distribute the corn to their 800 hunger relief partners, which are community organizations across the northern half of Colorado and the entire state of Wyoming.

“This corn will get distributed everywhere from Yuma to Grand Junction, everywhere from Castle Rock up to Craig and Steamboat and the entire state of Wyoming,” said Food Sourcing Coordinator Colleen Daszkiewicz. “It’s really fun that it’s such a community event. So many people bring their kids.”

Members of the Fort Morgan High School football team came out to help load the bags of corn onto the trucks. There were also people who had formerly been beneficiaries of the food bank that are now able to come and volunteer at the event.

“It’s an opportunity for the community to get together and do something that can really make a positive impact,” Shelby Birky said. “I also think there’s no more powerful connection to agriculture than food. There’s a lot of people out there that are going to eat this sweet corn that have never been on a farm in their life and I think it can really give them an appreciation for the products that we grow and show them that we are out here doing good things for our community and we’re trying to help them out.”

“I like seeing all the volunteers come out and do something that’s very unique,” continued Shelby. “Not everyone gets to go out every day and pick corn out of a field. It’s just a unique experience that the whole family can enjoy and really be a part of something pretty awesome.”

It was a joyful atmosphere with everyone working together to do a greater good. People were smiling and happy to lend a hand and give back.

“The volunteers that come out make it possible because it all has to be bagged and picked,” Bruce Postovit said. “We pre-picked about half of the field and then there’s pickers in the field. Then the Food Bank of the Rockies will take it all back to Denver to their main warehouse so today’s a Saturday and by the following Wednesday they’ll have distributed all the bags of sweet corn to all the food banks across Colorado and into Wyoming.”

Bruce explained that the bags typically hold about 80 ears and their green bags and red bags hold about 50 ears of corn.

“Just knowing that we are helping those in need, and I think my favorite thing is how it all comes together,” Bruce said. “How people show up to help those in need and I just ask for people to come help and people show up to volunteer their labor and we get tons of people that show up to donate equipment. There’s a lot of Fort Morgan folks involved, Wickham Tractor and 21st Century, lots of local businesses, and they all come together to help those in need. It’s overwhelming to me to know how people just come together when you ask for their help. We typically get 150-200 volunteers to show up on picking day, which is amazing and without the volunteers it would not be possible.”

The event started at 8 a.m. and continued until roughly noon with everyone working together to pick the sweet corn, put it into bags and load it onto the trucks.

The Food Bank of the Rockies’ mission statement is “Wherever hunger rises, so can we” and it was clear with the amount of people that showed up for the 10th annual picking that they will do just that. The sweet corn farmed and picked in Fort Morgan will help hundreds of people throughout Northeast Colorado and Wyoming.

• Members of the Fort Morgan High School football team volunteer at the 10th Annual Sweet Corn Picking event with Food Bank of the Rockies on Saturday, August 14, 2021 in Fort Morgan. (Maegan Olmstead/Fort Morgan Times)

• Stations are set up for people to help fill bags with ears of corn at the 10th Annual Sweet Corn Picking event with Food Bank of the Rockies on Saturday, August 14, 2021 in Fort Morgan. (Maegan Olmstead/Fort Morgan Times)

• Members of the Fort Morgan High School football team volunteer at the 10th Annual Sweet Corn Picking event with Food Bank of the Rockies on Saturday, August 14, 2021 in Fort Morgan. (Maegan Olmstead/Fort Morgan Times)

• Trailers are loaded up with bags full of corn at the 10th Annual Sweet Corn Picking event with Food Bank of the Rockies on Saturday, August 14, 2021 in Fort Morgan. (Maegan Olmstead/Fort Morgan Times)

• Members of the Fort Morgan High School football team came out to help at the 10th Annual Sweet Corn Picking event with Food Bank of the Rockies on Saturday, August 14, 2021 in Fort Morgan. (Maegan Olmstead/Fort Morgan Times)

• The Food Bank of the Rockies came out to Fort Morgan for the 10th Annual Sweet Corn Picking event on Saturday, August 14, 2021 in Fort Morgan. (Maegan Olmstead/Fort Morgan Times)

• Players on the Fort Morgan High School football team volunteer at the 10th Annual Sweet Corn Picking event with Food Bank of the Rockies on Saturday, August 14, 2021 in Fort Morgan. (Maegan Olmstead/Fort Morgan Times)

• Members of the Fort Morgan High School football team lend a hand at the 10th Annual Sweet Corn Picking event with Food Bank of the Rockies on Saturday, August 14, 2021 in Fort Morgan. (Maegan Olmstead/Fort Morgan Times)

• Dozens of volunteers came out for the 10th Annual Sweet Corn Picking event with Food Bank of the Rockies on Saturday, August 14, 2021 in Fort Morgan. (Maegan Olmstead/Fort Morgan Times)

• Players from the Fort Morgan High School football team help loads bags of corn at the 10th Annual Sweet Corn Picking event with Food Bank of the Rockies on Saturday, August 14, 2021 in Fort Morgan. (Maegan Olmstead/Fort Morgan Times)

• Tractors were utilized at the 10th Annual Sweet Corn Picking event with Food Bank of the Rockies on Saturday, August 14, 2021 in Fort Morgan. (Maegan Olmstead/Fort Morgan Times)

• Members of the community help out at the 10th Annual Sweet Corn Picking event with Food Bank of the Rockies on Saturday, August 14, 2021 in Fort Morgan. (Maegan Olmstead/Fort Morgan Times)

• Dozens of volunteers help fill bags with corn at the 10th Annual Sweet Corn Picking event with Food Bank of the Rockies on Saturday, August 14, 2021 in Fort Morgan. (Maegan Olmstead/Fort Morgan Times)

• Fields of corn are harvested for the 10th Annual Sweet Corn Picking event with Food Bank of the Rockies on Saturday, August 14, 2021 in Fort Morgan. (Maegan Olmstead/Fort Morgan Times)

• People volunteer at the 10th Annual Sweet Corn Picking event with Food Bank of the Rockies on Saturday, August 14, 2021 in Fort Morgan. (Maegan Olmstead/Fort Morgan Times)

• Organizer Bruce Postovit helps volunteers at the 10th Annual Sweet Corn Picking event with Food Bank of the Rockies on Saturday, August 14, 2021 in Fort Morgan. (Maegan Olmstead/Fort Morgan Times)

• Stations are set up for volunteers to fill bags with corn at the 10th Annual Sweet Corn Picking event with Food Bank of the Rockies on Saturday, August 14, 2021 in Fort Morgan. (Maegan Olmstead/Fort Morgan Times)

• Volunteers help fill bags with ears of corn at the 10th Annual Sweet Corn Picking event with Food Bank of the Rockies on Saturday, August 14, 2021 in Fort Morgan. (Maegan Olmstead/Fort Morgan Times)

• Volunteers help bag pre-picked ears of corn at the 10th Annual Sweet Corn Picking event with Food Bank of the Rockies on Saturday, August 14, 2021 in Fort Morgan. (Maegan Olmstead/Fort Morgan Times)

• Volunteers fill bags with ears of corn at the 10th Annual Sweet Corn Picking event with Food Bank of the Rockies on Saturday, August 14, 2021 in Fort Morgan. (Maegan Olmstead/Fort Morgan Times)

• Families volunteer at the 10th Annual Sweet Corn Picking event with Food Bank of the Rockies on Saturday, August 14, 2021 in Fort Morgan. (Maegan Olmstead/Fort Morgan Times)

• Families came out to volunteer for the 10th Annual Sweet Corn Picking event with Food Bank of the Rockies on Saturday, August 14, 2021 in Fort Morgan. (Maegan Olmstead/Fort Morgan Times)

• Trailers are loaded with corn at the 10th Annual Sweet Corn Picking event with Food Bank of the Rockies on Saturday, August 14, 2021 in Fort Morgan. (Maegan Olmstead/Fort Morgan Times)

• Volunteers work together at the 10th Annual Sweet Corn Picking event with Food Bank of the Rockies on Saturday, August 14, 2021 in Fort Morgan. (Maegan Olmstead/Fort Morgan Times)

• Volunteers fill bags with corn at the 10th Annual Sweet Corn Picking event with Food Bank of the Rockies on Saturday, August 14, 2021 in Fort Morgan. (Maegan Olmstead/Fort Morgan Times)

• Stations are organized for the 10th Annual Sweet Corn Picking event with Food Bank of the Rockies on Saturday, August 14, 2021 in Fort Morgan. (Maegan Olmstead/Fort Morgan Times)

• The 10th Annual Sweet Corn Picking event with Food Bank of the Rockies took place on Saturday, August 14, 2021 in Fort Morgan. (Maegan Olmstead/Fort Morgan Times)

• Stations of pre-picked corn are set up for the 10th Annual Sweet Corn Picking event with Food Bank of the Rockies on Saturday, August 14, 2021 in Fort Morgan. (Maegan Olmstead/Fort Morgan Times)

• Volunteers lend a hand at the 10th Annual Sweet Corn Picking event with Food Bank of the Rockies on Saturday, August 14, 2021 in Fort Morgan. (Maegan Olmstead/Fort Morgan Times)

• Trailers are filled with bags of corn at the 10th Annual Sweet Corn Picking event with Food Bank of the Rockies on Saturday, August 14, 2021 in Fort Morgan. (Maegan Olmstead/Fort Morgan Times)

• Volunteers work at individual stations at the 10th Annual Sweet Corn Picking event with Food Bank of the Rockies on Saturday, August 14, 2021 in Fort Morgan. (Maegan Olmstead/Fort Morgan Times)

• People came out to volunteer for the 10th Annual Sweet Corn Picking event with Food Bank of the Rockies on Saturday, August 14, 2021 in Fort Morgan. (Maegan Olmstead/Fort Morgan Times)

• Members of the Fort Morgan High School football team help out at the 10th Annual Sweet Corn Picking event with Food Bank of the Rockies on Saturday, August 14, 2021 in Fort Morgan. (Maegan Olmstead/Fort Morgan Times)

• The 10th Annual Sweet Corn Picking event with Food Bank of the Rockies took place on Saturday, August 14, 2021 in Fort Morgan. (Maegan Olmstead/Fort Morgan Times)

• Trailers are loaded with corn at the 10th Annual Sweet Corn Picking event with Food Bank of the Rockies on Saturday, August 14, 2021 in Fort Morgan. (Maegan Olmstead/Fort Morgan Times)

• A trailer is filled with bags of corn at the 10th Annual Sweet Corn Picking event with Food Bank of the Rockies on Saturday, August 14, 2021 in Fort Morgan. (Maegan Olmstead/Fort Morgan Times)

• Dozens of people came out for Members of the Fort Morgan High School football team volunteer at the 10th Annual Sweet Corn Picking event with Food Bank of the Rockies on Saturday, August 14, 2021 in Fort Morgan. (Maegan Olmstead/Fort Morgan Times)

• Hundreds of bags filled with corn are loaded onto trailers at the 10th Annual Sweet Corn Picking event with Food Bank of the Rockies on Saturday, August 14, 2021 in Fort Morgan. (Maegan Olmstead/Fort Morgan Times)

• Members of the Fort Morgan High School football team help load bags of corn at the 10th Annual Sweet Corn Picking event with Food Bank of the Rockies on Saturday, August 14, 2021 in Fort Morgan. (Maegan Olmstead/Fort Morgan Times)

• Trailers are loaded with bags of corn that will be transported to the Food Bank of the Rockies in Denver at the 10th Annual Sweet Corn Picking event on Saturday, August 14, 2021 in Fort Morgan. (Maegan Olmstead/Fort Morgan Times)

• Volunteers work together to load bags of corn onto trailers at the 10th Annual Sweet Corn Picking event with Food Bank of the Rockies on Saturday, August 14, 2021 in Fort Morgan. (Maegan Olmstead/Fort Morgan Times)

• The 10th Annual Sweet Corn Picking event with Food Bank of the Rockies took place on Saturday, August 14, 2021 in Fort Morgan. (Maegan Olmstead/Fort Morgan Times)

• Volunteers work together at the 10th Annual Sweet Corn Picking event with Food Bank of the Rockies on Saturday, August 14, 2021 in Fort Morgan. (Maegan Olmstead/Fort Morgan Times)

• Hundreds of bags are filled with corn by volunteers at the 10th Annual Sweet Corn Picking event with Food Bank of the Rockies on Saturday, August 14, 2021 in Fort Morgan. (Maegan Olmstead/Fort Morgan Times)

• Dozens of people came out for the 10th Annual Sweet Corn Picking event with Food Bank of the Rockies on Saturday, August 14, 2021 in Fort Morgan. (Maegan Olmstead/Fort Morgan Times)

• Members of the community came out to volunteer at the 10th Annual Sweet Corn Picking event with Food Bank of the Rockies on Saturday, August 14, 2021 in Fort Morgan. (Maegan Olmstead/Fort Morgan Times)

• Tractors are utilized at the 10th Annual Sweet Corn Picking event with Food Bank of the Rockies on Saturday, August 14, 2021 in Fort Morgan. (Maegan Olmstead/Fort Morgan Times)

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Big crop of volunteers come out for 10th annual Sweet Corn Picking with Food Bank of the Rockies - Fort Morgan Times
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