Helping Those with Food Insecurity

Here at the Community Garden almost one half of the 90'x90' garden is devoted to growing produce for donation to organizations that support those with food insecurity.  While we experiment each year with new products, the main crops include items that are familiar to and easy to prepare for those who benefit from the garden's donations.

Each harvest (twice/week at this time of year), produce is picked, rinsed, weighed and put in crates for delivery to various local organizations.  A log of what is donated is maintained so that we can track what crops are most productive.  A retail value is also calculated, although this is for internal planning purposes only.  The garden donates an average of $2,500 of produce each year, and while we cannot track waste, it is doubtful that there is much.  

Today was our monthly donation to the local food pantry.  It is open one Thursday and one Saturday of each month, and has no way to refrigerate produce, so the garden and a few local home gardeners are the only source of fresh produce at the food pantry.  

In addition to the food pantry, the Community Garden supports a local Project Feed the Thousands center, and a Senior Solutions lunch program.  Both the Project Feed and the Senior Solutions lunch program are weekly.  Unfortunately the Senior Solutions luncheon goes only through the end of this month, as the volunteer coordinator of the program is resigning at that time.  Local papers have put out the call for someone to take over the responsibility of coordinating this program, as area seniors not only benefit from a nutritious meal twice per week, but have the opportunity to socialize with other community members.  

The members of the Community Garden take great pride in helping with food donations.  While the plots in the community section are private, many gardeners, if going out of town, will open their plot(s) for donation harvests rather than have the produce over ripen and wind up in the compost pile.  Gardening really does bring out the best in folks!