COURTLAND, Va. (WAVY) — It's a Southern favorite, y'all. Fresh collards bring back memories of grandma's hands rinsing, slicing and seasoning the nutrition-packed greens. Dr. Eric Majette, pastor of New Life Church Global, got an early sample of the collards growing in Izzie's field in Courtland, just outside Franklin in Southampton County. "Oh, man, I've been bragging about them," Majette said. "I had an opportunity to have some of those collards for Thanksgiving, and they were absolutely amazing." The first crop of collards produced by the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore and its partners is ready for picking on Izzie's Farm, but there's just one problem — the hands of 25 to 50 volunteers are needed to pick and pack the crop that will be delivered to Foodbanks in one county and 11 cities in Virginia, Majette said. "They'll be [volunteers] called on to come out and get your hands dirty a little bit, bring your sneakers, bring your clothes, wear gloves, and you'll be actually harvesting," Majette said. "That is, picking the collards and putting them in boxes so they can be delivered to the different locations on the trucks. If you can't pick and pack, help is also needed to ensure this chemical-free farm is available for seasons to come. Melissa Smith, the Foodbank's director of development, explained how nutrition can take back the community. "Many times, it's an emotional process to receive food from the Foodbank," Smith said. "Overall, it's immense gratitude. Sometimes there's some feelings of, maybe there's a stigma to receive support from a Foodbank. But we do our best to try to overturn any negative feelings of of receiving help." Volunteers are needed from 8 to 11:30 a.m. Jan. 8 30010 Camp Parkway in Courtland. For more information, contact the Foodbank at 757-201-6295.