If you're still in the process of getting your garden in this year, give some thought to the idea of planting a little extra for local folks in need. Many local service agencies accept donations of fresh produce to distribute to our hungry neighbors. See Plant a Row Western Mass for details.
Even if you don't intentionally plant extra, this is a great way to share the bounty with people who may have trouble getting access to fresh produce, much less local vegetables. If you find yourself with more than you can use of something you're growing, pass it along! Right now we have an overflowing bounty of salad greens - and we're getting ready to go on a 10-day vacation - so I'm going to see if we can share some via the Center for Self-Reliance here in Greenfield.
Another option if you are growing more food than you need is to visit www.AmpleHarvest.org - a site that helps diminish hunger by enabling gardeners to share their garden produce/herbs with neighborhood food pantries.
ReplyDeleteThe site is free both for the food pantries and the gardeners using it.
Backed by Google.com and the USDA, more than 2,000 food pantries nationwide are already on it and more are signing up daily.
It includes preferred delivery times, driving instructions to the pantry as well as (in many cases) information about store bought items also needed by the pantry (for after the growing season). A free Ample Harvest iPhone app is also available.
If your community has a food pantry, make sure they are registered at www.AmpleHarvest.org.