Potatoes Roasted with Rosemary (photo by Clara Natoli, courtesy of morguefile.com)

Joe and Chris Miller decided to open up the fields of their Colorado farm “to anyone who wanted to pick up free vegetables left over after the harvest.” It was their way of saying thank you to their customers, but an Associated Press report published by the Denver Post says “40,000 people showed up” and “the fields were picked so clean” the couple had to cancel the second day of the open harvest.

“Some people parked their cars along two nearby highways to take to the field with sacks, wagons and barrels.” According to the report, they came to collect “free potatoes, carrots and leeks.”

The AP article says the Millers “opened the farm to the free public harvest for the first time this year after hearing reports of food being stolen from churches.” Farm operations manager Dave Patterson “estimated some 600,000 pounds of produce was harvested.”

If you’d like to read the Associated Press article cited above go to: Thousands pick up free vegetables on Colo. farm