ADRIAN – Students from the Adrian School District in Malheur County recently presented hundreds of pounds of potatoes and onions to communities in Grant County.

The effort was part of a new gleaning program at Adrian, a community service opportunity for youth.

Several farms near Adrian have opened their fields to the students to gather potatoes and onions for donation to food banks and organizations. The activity is not a requirement for the students, but a chance to help others and serve the community.

Adrian Principal Kevin Purnell, formerly of Prairie City, came up with the idea after seeing the rejects and remains of the crops on some farmers’ fields last fall. The farmers often till under the potatoes and onions that don’t get picked up by their machines and workers.

“A lot of it looked usable,” he said.

In a one-day gleaning event, students collected 900 pounds of potatoes that they presented to administrators from Monument, Dayville and Long Creek school districts. They also contribute to churches and other community organizations.

The schools are free to distribute the goods to local residents to help them through the winter, or use them in the schools’ kitchens for student meals.

Meanwhile some farmers have gotten into the spirit and are donating bags of potatoes and onions to the project.

Purnell said the kids are getting a lot of satisfaction out of helping others – so much so that youngsters who ordinarily might not seek out farmwork are asking to be a part of the team. Now they’re thinking about getting “Glean Team” T-shirts.