December/January 2004-2005

Views expressed are those of the authors, not necessarily of the AFSC.

The Harvest Aid Project

The materials here were provided by the Western Massachusetts office of the American Friends Service Committee. For more about the project and ongoing work in Iraq, contact the office at 413/584-8975; www.westernmassafsc.org

Farmer in Dhuluiya, Iraq shows groves destroyed by US soldiers. Photo by Salam Juboury, November 2004.

The lives of farmers in Dhuluiya, Iraq and Massachusetts families of military personnel serving in Iraq seem worlds apart, but they share at least one thing in common -- they're both having a hard time supporting themselves. Through the Harvest Aid Fund, Pioneer Valley farmers and residents joined together to help feed their neighbors -- both near and far -- hurt by the war in Iraq.

The Dhuluiya farmers lost their livelihoods in the fall of 2003 when US soldiers bulldozed their orange, lemon, and date groves as "punishment" for not revealing the identities of resistance fighters allegedly hiding in the groves. Meanwhile, many military families in the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts have been hurt financially while their family members serve in Iraq. Whether as National Guard troops and Reservists who leave behind better-paying jobs when called up for service or because of low pay in other branches of the military, they can't make ends meet. The Pioneer Valley United Service Organizations (USO) Food Pantry, which serves local military families, has seen a three-fold increase in demand in the past year.

"Most of the military in our area are in the Guard or Reserves and have jobs outside of the military," says Sandy Wakefield of the Pioneer Valley USO. "In many instances, families lose money when the wage earner is called to active duty. Sometimes it is very difficult deciding what bills to pay and still be able to feed the family."

The Harvest Aid Fund was a project to share the abundance of Pioneer Valley agriculture with these two very different groups of people who have been hurt by the war in Iraq. The Fund drive ran the length of the 2004 growing season. Half the funds raised went to the farmers of Dhuluiya and half went to the Pioneer Valley USO Food Pantry. The Harvest Aid Fund was co-sponsored by local peace groups, congregations, agricultural associations, and individual farms.

A general appeal for donations as well as information leaflets and posters about the Fund were made available at local farm stands, farmers' markets, festivals, and community-supported agriculture farms. Riverland Farm co-owner and Harvest Aid Fund co-sponsor Scott Reed says, "I can't imagine what it would be like if my fields were bulldozed. I know this is only a token gesture to support the Iraqi farmers and the local military families, but I hope it conveys our concern."

The Harvest Aid Fund was a people-to-people, farmer-to-farmer effort that grew out of a letter of apology to the farmers of Dhuluiya written by Ann Gibson and Mary McClintock of Conway, MA. "We write with sincere apologies for the destruction of your fruit trees last October...We are doing everything we can to have the US military held accountable. We know that your groves were precious and worth much more than money." The letter was signed by 150 residents of Western Massachusetts.

The Harvest Aid project inspired Randy Kehler and other activists to create another project, known simply as "Letter to the People of Iraq" (see next page). Thousands of US citizens signed on to the letter. The publicity generated by the letter-signing campaign generated donations from people all over the US to the Harvest Aid Fund.

With the help of AFSC staff in Iraq, both letters were delivered in the fall of 2005 to the farmers by Salam al Juboury, an Iraqi citizen with ties to the Dhuluiya region.

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