If you have been reading about the town’s commitment to making food accessible for everyone and would like to do your part, there is an opportunity Saturday morning, Oct. 6, when people from Wake Forest and other areas will go to First Fruits Farm near Louisburg to harvest sweet potatoes.
First Fruits Farm was founded by former NFL lineman Jason Brown to share the love of Christ and aid in hunger relief in North Carolina by raising huge crops of sweet potatoes.
Yam Jam will take place from 8 to noon, and Tilda Caudle, one of the organizers, recommends staying two to three hours, with no set arrival or departure times. There is also a First Fruits Fall Festival Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. so after harvesting you can take a trolley to another part of the farm for music, crafts, pumpkin painting contest, face painting, bouncy house and more.
Here is what you should bring. Water, a liability waiver (see more of this later), closed-toe shoes that will get dirty, bug spray and sunscreen. There will be port-a-potties near the field.
First Fruits Farm is at 1950 East River Road, Louisburg, and here is how to get there. Take NC 98 east, go past US 401 and turn left at a flashing red light onto Ferrells Bridge Road after you cross NC 39. Take Ferrells Bridge Road until it deadends into a stop sign. Turn left onto Mort Harris Road, then turn left onto East River Road. The 1950 address will be the first driveway on the right. The Society of St. Andrew will have up signs for Yam Jam.
You are asked to carpool if you can. When you arrive, parking directors will show you where to park. After parking, you are asked to walk to the registration tent. The waiver is your ticket in to the event.
To get a blank waiver, send an email request to cwpelosi@aol.com and I will send you the form by return email.
You can also find the waiver if you register in advance with the Society of St. Andrew at www.endhunger.org and click on Volunteer on the first page or call the Durham office at 919-683-3011.