Southern Tier Antique Club assists the Food Bank through their potato project

The Southern Tier Antique Club is a group of about 75 of all ages that enjoys using their antique tractors for tractor pulls, parades, and tractor rides, plowing and tractor shows. One of their favorite activities, however, is the plowing, planting, hilling and digging of potatoes for the Food Bank.

Each year, club members plow a few acres with antique tractors and using an antique potato planter, they plant seed potatoes, donated by Cornell University.  When the growing season is over, they have two antique potato diggers, one nearly 100 years old, that are used to dig the potatoes.

Unfortunately, this digger leaves the potatoes on the ground. Many of the members, although eager to help, would have difficulty getting off the ground themselves if they spent much time picking potatoes.

Each year they need help, and this year they were pleased to have more than 250 volunteers from Tioga and Broome County give up their Saturday morning to help in the gathering of more than 20 tons of potatoes.

They are very appreciative of the help from the community and their contribution to the Food Bank.