We are a small Episcopal Church on the banks of the Rappahannock in Port Royal, Virginia. We acknowledge that we gather on the traditional land of the first people of Port Royal, the Nandtaughtacund, and we respect and honor with gratitude the land itself, the legacy of the ancestors, and the life of the Rappahannock Tribe. Our mission statement is to do God’s Will in all that we do.

Village Harvest, July 2022 – What happened?

When we look back in July and over recent years, the trends from June to July show either a steady increase or a sizeable drop. There is no consistency between years.

We had 74 people visit the harvest in July.  That was  a significant drop from 96 in June.  In 2021, the number from June to July  was actually up from 70 to 80 reflecting an increase. 2020 was a pandemic year. In 2019 the number of clients fell from 130 to 101. The year before there was an increase from 100 to 119. So it’s  “all over the place.” For the year 2022 is just above 2021, 617 to 615 but the difference between the years has been decreasing.

The real value is in the food provided – and that is up . We distributed 1,254 pounds of food, the largest distribution since March. The year it is 8,841 pounds for 2022 vs 8,718 for 2021. Pounds per client were up monthly from 14.18 to 14.33. The last full year was 2019 which was only 12 pounds. Similarly, the value per client at $6 a pound averaged from  $86 to $88 monthly during the period. It was $81 in 2019, the last full year. 

One positive is the composition of the foods. Produce shot up from 9% to 34%. In 2019 and 2021 it was comparable at 36%.  Meat was the main change at 19% in July, 2022 compared to 15% in 2021 and 7% in 2019