Plant a row program

But between the farms and IT support centers, among the microbreweries and industrial parks, something else thrives: generosity. I started the Lehigh Valley chapter of Plant a Row two years ago, as I searched for some way to address food insecurity through gardening after I graduated from DeSales University. The idea behind Plant a Row seemed like it would fit the region well — find places to host dropoff bins, encourage gardeners to donate a row of their garden and any excess, recruit volunteers to collect donations from each dropoff bin each week, and transport those donations to food pantries and meal centers.

And so, I got to work. Immediately, the Penn State Master Gardeners jumped onboard, eagerly rounding up contacts and brainstorming potential ways to reach the gardeners in the area. The media excitedly promoted the idea in the paper and on TV. It was not a flawless operation though. For example, I decided I should create an online signup form so that I could use the email addresses of the interested participants to send news, schedule changes, and updates on our progress over the course of the season.

After months of groundwork, I launched signups, asking anyone interested to register using my form. I had neglected to include a field for registrants to provide their email address! The single most important piece of information I wanted to collect was completely missing! I did the only thing I could think of: I sent a paper letter to every single registered gardener, begging them to please send me an email so I could record their email address. And incredibly, every single gardener I mailed this letter to did indeed eventually send me their email address.

The learning continued, the year progressed, and the donations started rolling in. Soon Cathy Little joined the team. Sue Kowalchuk, and Lois Prytherch soon joined as well, launching donation points of their own. A network of driving volunteers made it logistically possible to operate nine dropoff points our first year.

By the end of , gardeners throughout the Lehigh Valley had donated over three thousand pounds of produce to the hungry. This year, they donated over five thousand pounds, and our donation points numbered fourteen. These donations were split between seven different food assistance programs, up from five last year.

A wide variety of fruits and vegetables were contributed, including over pounds of tomatoes and pounds of squash, as well as more imaginative donations including kohlrabi, blueberries, pumpkins, and brussel sprouts. Some 69, of our neighbors in the Lehigh Valley will struggle with food insecurity this year, and we were able to directly address that need with fresh, nutritious food.

But the program serves not just the hungry in the Valley, it serves gardeners too. We are ordinary folks working ordinary day jobs — engineers, teachers, managers, technicians, waiters, and students. The program has its roots in many communities in North America.

That was the year that they produced more potatoes in their backyard garden than their family could consume. They decided to donate the excess to the local food bank, Winnipeg Harvest. Since then, over 1. Lazare and Dorion area. Supported by their members in their own communities, this innovative public service campaign encourages gardeners to grow a little extra and donate the produce to local soup kitchens and food banks. To support the continued development of a positive and lasting relationship between the community and its food banks and soup kitchens.

We'll also add you to our newsletter list so you can see what other donors are doing in the community, and give you options to join in friendly competitions. We'll also send you helpful gardening tips, recipes, and a list of most needed produce items for that month. The need to provide healthy food for our struggling neighbors has never been greater!

Please consider getting involved. For more information, contact Sandy at GrowWatauga gmail. What is Plant a Row? How Can I Help?