Search is on for thieves that stole a non-profit’s tractor

Kale, tomatoes and radishes are just some of the many vegetables growing on the Healthy Harvest Community Farms in Lehigh Acres waiting to go to local food pantries.

But now, the non-profit organization is missing a big piece of equipment that helps make it all possible.

“What we do is give away food so for somebody that comes and takes something from us,” Jorge Acosta, farm operations manager, said in disbelief. “It’s just crazy. It doesn’t make any sense. It really doesn’t.”

Acosta said he last saw, “Big Red,” in its usual spot at the front of the farm Monday morning.

“You can see the tire marks. Yesterday, when I was here there were tire marks for a trailer that came by and moved it somewhere.”

The tractor played a vital part in growing produce to donate to food pantries, like Lehigh Community Services.

“A food pantry survives by donations,” said Carolyn Peplow, who works at Lehigh Community Services. “The donations are more important than anyone realizes.”

Now, Acosta is just asking for whoever took their tractor that was donated to them to bring it back so they can keep giving to people in need.

“We always persevere,” Acosta said. “That’s what we’re all about. We’ll keep growing. We’ve hit a lot of bumps in the road… just get past those.”