The root of giving lies just under the surface
By Joey Pitchford
Published in News on November 20, 2017 5:50 AM
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
H.B. Barnes holds a 5.75-pound sweet potato Wednesday that he grew in his garden. Barnes gives his extra yield to the needy to eat.
H.B. Barnes is a man with a simple mission -- get the people of St. Mark's Church some sweet potatoes.
Barnes, 87, has been doing just that every year since 1965, venturing out to farms to pick sweet potatoes after the farmers have collected their crops for the season. He started picking the vegetables for a simple reason.
"The old folks down at St. Mark's wanted some sweet potatoes, and I was young at the time so I said I'd go get some for them," he said. "Since then I just kept on doing it."
In the 52 years since then, Barnes has kept up the tradition. He visits farms along U.S. 70 and in Dudley -- home of the largest sweet potatoes around, he said -- and has worked out deals with the farmers there to go and collect leftover potatoes after the harvest is over. Barnes works in the field for around five hours to pick his potatoes, often for multiple days in a row. He typically brings in a substantial haul -- this year Barnes filled five 5-gallon barrels full of potatoes to bring back to the church. He credits God for his continued work ethic.
"I keep doing it because the Lord allows me to keep doing it," he said. "It makes me feel real good to help the people at the church."
Barnes has gotten some feedback from the older people at St. Mark's, most of it with the same kind of to-the-point attitude that Barnes himself expressed.
"They just tell me they want more sweet potatoes," he said with a laugh. "If it ain't raining, I'll be out there picking them."
Barnes said he has around 10 people at St. Mark's whom he gives the sweet potatoes to, including some of the younger members of the church. He said he is not quite ready to give up his annual tradition yet.
"Well, I'm 87 years old now, so maybe when I hit 90, if I make it that far, I'll stop," he said. "Give me three more years and I'll knock it off."