Eric Eisen just doesn't like to see things go to waste.

It's that simple philosophy that led the 83-year-old to single-handedly haul more than 390,000 pounds of fruits and vegetables from his family's Watervilet farm to local food banks.

Eisen began delivering produce and flowers to food pantries at Chapel Hill United Methodist Church, Lakeview Baptist Church and Youth for Christ.

"It was still good, so I started taking it to the families at my church," the Battle Creek resident said. "Then I saw there was a lot of need, so I started loading up the trailer. It just didn't make sense to waste it."

He approached his brother, Herb, who ran the farm with his son, Steve — and the men agreed it would be a great idea.

Eric Eisen, a World War II veteran, didn't work the farm, instead retiring after 30 years at the Battle Creek Veterans Affairs Medical Center. But he always stayed involved in the farm's happenings.

By 1998, Eisen was regularly hauling produce from the Eisen Farm in Watervilet to the Food Bank of South Central Michigan — an organization which serves 272 nonprofit agencies in eight counties and feeds about 92,018 individuals annually.

To deliver the food, Eisen would load up to 6,000 pounds of produce onto his specially-made trailer, which he hitched onto a Ford Escort station wagon, outfitted with heavy-duty tires.

"I hauled a lot in this, it doesn't look it — but it held a lot," Eisen said of the trailer, which he still keeps in his garage.

Eisen spent five summers delivering produce to the Food Bank. Three years ago, he "retired" from making the twice-weekly, 120-mile round trip haul — but he still accompanies a Food Bank truck driver, who now makes the deliveries.

"I was getting older and it was time," Eisen said of ending his solo journeys.

Eisen is busiest in the summer, when his produce drop-offs make fresh produce available to neighborhoods in Barry, Branch, Calhoun, Jackson and Kalamazoo counties, said Bob Randels, food bank executive director.

"He's providing a lot of fresh food to families who need it," said Randels. "This award is really a tribute to someone who saw something that needed to be done went the extra mile to do it."

Randels said Eisen is a "modest, salt-of-the-Earth type of guy," who doesn't look for recognition. Eisen's wife agrees.

"He's just such a wonderful, wonderful man who loves to help people," June Eisen said. "I'm incredibly lucky to have him as my husband."

Eric Eisen said he was honored to receive the 2006 George Award, but added he's just a simple man who wanted to help others. He plans to continue hauling produce from the Eisen Farm.

"I think I got the farm workers used to putting food aside for the charities," Eisen said. "So after I'm gone I am hoping this work will continue on."

Stephanie Antonian Rutherford is a general assignment reporter. She can be reached at 966-0665 or srutherford@battlecr.gannett.com.