(Des Moines, IA) -- Sixty-two-year-old Brian Christner says his friends and family thought he was crazy to try and walk across the U-S, but he says he just wanted to do something for humanity. Christner says he has done other humanitarian projects but thought walking across the country would be a great way to raise awareness about food insecurity in America. His journey is self-funded by his own foundation and the non profit Feeding America.
Christner is a blackberry farmer from Culver, Indiana. Started the 4,800 mile trek in February on the east coast, plans to cross the Rocky Mountains by October and make it to northern California by the end of the year. He stops at food banks and pantries along the way and visited the Food Bank of Iowa in Des Moines Tuesday.
He says he walks between 15-20 miles per day and has gone through five pairs of shoes. He expects to be in Omaha in about 10 days.
Christner says the most annoying things about the trip have been mosquitos, ticks, and poison ivy.