NEW CASTLE, Ind. — Farmers in Henry County collected 1,930 bushels of corn, netting $12,876.02, which was donated last week to a local charity, Westminster Community Center, in New Castle.

Jim Wenning, president of Henry County Farm Bureau, coordinated the effort involving 15 local farmers and nearly two semi-truck loads of corn.

“Our farmers were a lot more generous than I expected. My wife and I have donated for the last few years, and we hoped to get a more coordinated effort. Whenever we called anyone, we got positive responses,” Wenning said at the Westminster site.

The funds will be used at Westminster to maintain and add services to the community, said Jeff Kundert, executive director of Westminster. 

The community center assists more than 200 families per month with perishable and non-perishable food. Also, the Christian mission provides clothing, emergency utility funds, after-school care for 190 elementary students, and other services.

Kundert said the newest program is to teach families and third to fifth graders how to grow a garden.

“We want to help support the community,” said Gerald Pittsford, a farmer-donor in Middletown, Ind. “There’s always a need.”

Lis McDonnell, public relations person for HCFB and donor, said this was an opportunity to give locally.

“There are not many things we can do (to help). We can fix equipment and mow yards and ditches along roads. This is (another) way to use the resources we have,” McDonnell said.

Kundert said donations to the center are down by 50 percent since the recession started. Westminster relies primarily on local support for its services.

“Westminster is a good program. It does a lot,” McDonnell said.

Kundert told the group of farmers that the funds would be carefully supervised.

“It is great to see the support of this program (by HCFB). I was surprised by the amount ... We will be careful with what we’ve been entrusted with and good stewards of it,” Kundert said.

Wenning also thanked Tom Smith, manager of Harvestland Elevator in Millville, Ind., for buying the grain for approximately 8 cents per bushel more than his regular bid of $6.67.

“Grain farmers have been blessed with good prices and good yields. It’s only right that we share some of that bounty,” Wenning said.

Wenning said his idea was spurred by Indiana State Farm Bureau’s Hoppers for Hunger program, which encourages individual donations at harvest.

“We do not know how much corn came from each farmer. They had to decide when to shut off the auger,” he said.

The following farmers gave to the HCFB-sponsored donation: Gerald Pittsford, Tim Chapman, Gerry Yanos, Jeff Pfaff, Bill McDonnell, Matt Chapman, Paul Buchmeier, Duane Clark, Ed Yanos, Joel Mageria, Justin Day, Scott Trennepohl, John Pickering, Jim Wenning and Joe Yanos.