RRSpin - Pink harvest: Wraps raise funds for breast cancer

Monday, 26 October 2015 12:54

Pink harvest: Wraps raise funds for breast cancer ^Featured

Written by Lance Martin

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A wrap ready for placement on the ground.

For at least four years, Matt Harris wanted to find a way to bring breast cancer awareness to the farm.

With farm equipment manufacturer John Deere now producing pink cotton module wraps, he and his brothers bought enough for 430 bales and next year they want to buy more as well as come up with some fundraising ideas.

His mother-in-law a breast cancer survivor and another daughter on the way, it has become personal, he said today while harvesting cotton off Ringwood Road in the Enfield area. “With five women in the house, I have to have an interest in it. We're hoping to do a fundraiser next year.”

With the ideas for that fundraiser still in its infancy, he envisions a plan where the public has the opportunity to make 5- to 10-cent pledges on the bales wrapped and have some sort of field day — not only for survivors, but to bring awareness to farming.

Harvest photos

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A farm equipment rep came to the Harris brothers about the idea, Evan Harris said, and the family liked it, a portion of the wrap sales going to breast cancer research. “It was a big thing for us. We like to help in things like this any way we can. Each one of the wraps, a certain percentage goes to breast cancer awareness.”

The wraps, which are assembled onto the combine, encase about 3.8 bales of cotton, the wrapped cotton coming out of the back of the machine and placed on the ground.

The cotton harvest comes after two weeks of heavy rain late last month and into the beginning of this month, Evan said, resulting in what he described as an average yield.

With around 45 years of farming in their blood, starting when their grandfather and father began the family business, the lure of the craft still calls. “We just enjoy it,” Evan said. “We enjoy being outside.”

Harris family photos

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His 6-year-old son, Riley, the self-professed boss of the family business, agreed. “I like it. I like the dirt and the picking.”

Evan said the family also liked the opportunity to raise awareness for breast cancer. “We just wanted to help out.”

Zach Harris, another brother, said, “I like it. It's a good way to do something for breast cancer.”

At 15, Zach said he will most likely stay in the family tradition. “I just like the family tradition and just being outdoors.”

Getting the pink wraps in large quantities was difficult this year, said Matt, who hopes the fundraiser he is working on for next year will raise money for mammograms. “Next year, we're going to get all the pink we can and do it all in pink.”

Read 5287 times Last modified on Monday, 26 October 2015 13:04