Bringing in the harvest in a farmer’s honor

The unexpected death of a local farmer left the Promised Land Natural Farm with an abundance of produce that needed harvesting.
In an effort to honor Jackie Hansen, who owned and operated the small Yardley farm with her husband, Paul Hansen, Delaware Valley University students stepped up to harvest nearly 1,000 pounds of produce last week.
All the food, which includes potatoes, kale, beets, tomatoes, green beans and more, is being donated to the Penndel Food Pantry, said Jackie Ricotta, professor of horticulture and chair of the Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture at DelVal.

“The Hansens are very kind,” said Ricotta, noting that the couple was among the first vendors at the Wrightstown Farmer’s Market. They often hosted DelVal students for field trips, where, Ricotta said, “Paul was an excellent teacher.”
Ricotta stressed that harvesting the produce is a tribute to Jackie Hansen, and a collaborative effort with Rolling Harvest Food Rescue, the Bucks County Food Alliance and the Wrightstown Farmers Market.
“The family would like to focus on the good that is coming out of this sad situation – it really is a testament to the wonderful, supportive farm community in Bucks County that DelVal is a part of,” said Ricotta.

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