BOISE -- The harvest season is underway at a place you may not think of for growing potatoes -- the Idaho state prison. For the last four months minimum security offenders have been growing a whole crop of vegetables to donate to the Idaho Foodbank, and it all started with one man's idea.
"We'll be out here with shovels on our hands and knees for the next three or four days," said Kevin Repp, offender at the South Idaho Correctional Institution.
It takes the hands of many to harvest this six-acre field of vegetables at the Idaho state prison.
Their work will produce 70,000 to 90,000 pounds of potatotes. That's two truckloads -- planted and harvested by minimum security offenders -- to be donated to the Idaho Foodbank.
"We're all in here and rather than doing nothing we're providing a service for everybody and I think it's a great idea," said Repp.
It's an idea Trey Klauss with Farmers Insurance first had several months ago while working at food pantry in Meridian.
"One day I had a thought, why is there a hunger issue in Idaho if most of the land is public land," said Klauss.
That thought soon got the attention of the governor. Word of mouth spread, and by spring state offenders were planting potatoes, tomatoes, corn and other vegetables. The total crop will produce 200,000 pounds fresh produce for the Idaho Foodbank.
"The benefit comes from being able to feed much more nutritional product and food to the families here in Idaho," said Shellie Harvath, Idaho Foodbank.
There is a push nationally to make more fresh produce available for low income families, but Idaho is among the first to use public land and minimum security offenders to grow the food. Harvath says the idea cultivated here is growing.
"Because of this garden here it's caught on with other states and other departments of corrections," said Harvath.
"It's just the little things that we do that make a difference," said Klauss.
One simple idea along with the help of many is making a big difference to those in need.
"With the people out there that are homeless and the lack of food and everything. I think it's a great idea. And I think everybody out here is really proud of it," said Repp.
"It feels great, but we still have a lot of work to go because there are still a lot more hungry families out there," said Klauss.
The South Idaho Correctional Institution is ready to feed more. Their garden is currently six acres. They can expand to as many as 60 acres and will likely do so over the next couple of years.
Almost all of the seedlings, fertilizer and equipment needed to run the garden has been donated and at no cost to taxpayers.
