His fellow parishioner and friend for nearly 40 years, Dorothea Birnie, disagreed. He calls it the deacons' garden, but it's really his garden. He gathers the produce for needy people on Wednesdays and we give it away then. He loves to give things to people. Under the auspices of the deacons, the church operates a thrift store, called the Cent Saver, where donated clothing and food, as well as Thornton's produce, are available for those in need.
Extra produce is also available to church members for a donation.
Each summer Thornton plants 12 100-foot rows of corn and 12 of potatoes. He starts most of the plants from seed sown in six packs germinated on his glass-enclosed porch. The church owns the land and I just put what money it takes to grow into it. Farmin', as Thronton called it, began as an economic necessity to this Humboldt County native born in Fort Seward in 1916. That's how I got my start.