In the little town of Platteville in Colorado, Miller Farms opened their fields to the public to come and 'glean' the potatoes, onions and carrots. Knowing that people were struggling to make ends meet, they decided to help by allowing those in need come and harvest the produce. Miller Farms was expecting about 4000 or so people to come on Saturday and Sunday. Instead, an estimated 40,000 people showed up with shovels, gloves, baskets and bags. It was a field full of families, friends and strangers. It was so much more than they expected and by the end of the day, the fields were empty. The event did not continue on Sunday because there was nothing left.

So, Miller Farms decided to 'pay it forward' and give to people without any care whether they needed the produce or just wanted to spend a day gathering fresh produce from the ground. They just let people come and gather. They opened their field and their hearts and welcomed the public.

What if ... each of those 40,000 people pay the kindness forward to another person? Can you imagine? In 1784, Ben Franklin told a friend who owed him money to pay it forward as a way of doing a good deed. Now in 2008 we can follow his example by offering an act of kindness to another. The most basic act of kindness is expressing thanks. Calling a friend, sending a thank you note, visiting your neighbor, reaching out to someone in some way is a great way to pay it forward. How about supporting local businesses like Miller Farms when they open again in the spring?

Care to share your act of kindness?

Read about this in Rocky Mountain News: Miller Farms