How One Rice Farmer Ensures No One in His Community Goes Hungry

Every year since 1984, a Brazoria County, Tex., rice farmer has been donating a portion of his rice harvest to the Houston Foodbank. According to Houstonia magazine, 70-year-old John Travis ‘Jacko’ Garrett of Garrett Farms has provided more than 11 million servings of rice each year thanks to his nonprofit, Share the Harvest, that bands rice farmers in the region together to help fight hunger. To date, the organization has donated nearly 6 million pounds of rice. “It is a huge donation that isn’t replaceable for us,” Houston Foodbank CEO Brian Greene said.
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Although the big-hearted septuagenarian has fed millions, he remains concerned about the future of his organization. Garrett hopes that young rice farmers will step up and continue his legacy. As Houstonia reported, Garrett is also working with the Foodbank to promote farmland purchases. A tiny investment can go a long way, as Garrett said, “If you wanted to buy an acre of rice to provide the funds for Share the Harvest, for about $1,200 you could provide nearly 80,000 meals.” If you’d like to support Garrett and his organization’s fight against hunger in Houston, you can check out the link here.