I first met Juanita Nelson at the Greenfield Farmers Market in my youth. It was sometime in the mid-1980s, and I was helping my grandfather Fred sell our fruit, as our family had done since the market’s inception.

Clarkdale Fruit Farms was one of the original vendors, along with Juanita and Wally Nelson and a few other farmers, who had established it in the 1970s. Fred and my father Tom Clark had seen the value in direct sales to customers in Greenfield. At that time our orchard, along with most in the region, still primarily relied on wholesale business, packing apples and sending them off to a regional distributor. The Nelsons saw a need for local produce to be sold directly to local consumers, for the benefit of both parties.

I didn’t have much interaction with the Nelsons, but I remember them for being welcoming and happy to strike up a conversation. My respect for them grew when our elementary school class visited their cabin on Woolman Hill where they lived below the income tax line to resist funding wars, in accordance with their pacifist beliefs. I still remember the wall of canned goods and dried beans that impressed me.

Juanita Nelson had the idea for the first Harvest Supper 21 years ago, as a way to spread awareness on the issues of hunger and food justice, while also celebrating the bounty of local produce. She led a coalition of early partners who sourced food from farms and prepared it for the community, served up at Court Square, the same location as the Greenfield Farmers Market.

I returned to the area the following year, joining my father at Clarkdale and taking over duties of vending at the farmers market, a full circle moment from my childhood. Twenty years ago, the Harvest Supper was still a new event, and our farm was one of many donating fruits and vegetables to be served up to the community.

It was in the third year that the event started gaining traction and diners were lining up around Court Square waiting to be served. My father and I came up with the idea to hand out our fruit to those in line, which we delivered while wearing apple-picking buckets. We continued this practice up until a few years ago, when we heard about the abundance of apple cores and peach pits found on the common after the event. Since then, volunteers have carried trays of sliced fruit and vegetables to hand out to waiting diners, continuing the tradition.

This year, for the second consecutive supper, my son Emerson and I will be volunteering as servers under the main tent. I’m proud to continue the legacy of father-son Clarks serving healthy food to fellow community members on Court Square.

The Harvest Supper is such a beautiful, unique event that really brings us all together over a meal, just as Juanita had intended. I look forward to seeing many familiar faces and encourage anyone who hasn’t attended to come out on Saturday, Aug. 22, and to support the event as a volunteer or with a donation at thestonesoupcafe.org.

Ben Clark lives in Deerfield, where he is the owner of Clarkdale Fruit Farms.