I'm starting to volunteer in a food bank garden. Does anyone have experience? This garden has been quite successful. Last year they harvested 15,000 lbs of fresh vegetables for the food banks in 13 counties. I'd like to know of other places doing this. I know that "Plant a Row for the Hungry" has also been a leader in this regard. With our economy in the shape it is, this would seem like a great option for people who want to do something.
Food Bank Gardens
Our local community garden has several large plots allocated to growing food for the local assistance program. The folks responsible for this set up the plots in a permaculture manner. The net result is that they grow a variety of fruits and vegetables, but not enough of any one thing to support the food kitchen. They finally worked out a system of providing a weekly box of produce to a selection of needy families in the area.
One thing to keep in mind when growing for a food bank is the ethnic background and available cooking facilities of the food banks customers. We've had gardeners plant extra for the food bank and then had the vegetables rot at the food bank because they were varieties that the customers did not recognize or know how to prepare.
We are trying a new project this year on a small scale. Pickle buckets, the big white ones, are being turned into patio gardens. Pantry customers will be given the opportunity to take one home if they would like it. Mostly tomatoes, with some green peppers and cucumbers, along with simple directions for their care. Obviously the families that are more transient won't be able to participate, but those that live in apartments may.
cathy4 that is a great idea. Many people that need help do have homes or apartments were your pickle bucket idea will work. Not only that but a little success with the pickle buckets might encourage a small garden effort in following years. You might think of providing some seed next year
Joe
Plant a row for those in need.
Great idea! I love the pickle bucket idea. It's a great way to get someone started. Thanks for sharing.
You are welcome. I'm trying not to get my hopes too high, but my heart really wants it to be successful. You are more than welcome to pass the idea along.
What did you think of Michelle Obama's involvement with community garden support? She shows a keen interest in supporting community gardens as a way of getting safe, fresh, local food. I thought it was great to see the garden on the White House lawn.
Ellen
This is a program the Food Bank in Tucson is doing. http://communityfoodbank.com/get-involved/marana-farm-youth-apprentice-program/ They have had the farm for about 3 years, I think!
A friend and I just started a new community garden here in Salem, Oregon. Our local foodshare has a community garden branch to it that helps people get gardens started. They have connections with local farmers, and seed companies so they are able to provide us with free compost, potting soil and seed. They also have had a rototilling tractor and a dumptruck donated to the foodshare that they use to help get gardens started. The city donates the water for free.
This is our first year doing the garden. There are four families involved, and we're all fairly new to vegetable gardening. The Willamette Valley has blessed us with some amazing soil, and we've got more produce than we know what to do with! We keep a "free produce" basket just outside of our garden, and try to keep it filled daily with fresh vegetables. It's been a great way to meet neighbors.
I like what was said about paying attention to the ethnicity of our neighbors, and what they might like to eat. We live in a neighborhood with a high Latino population. Tomatillos and jalapenos are in high demand. I wish we'd planted more of those! Next year we'll plan a little better.
A fun thing we did for the kids is plant a sunflower house. In a circle (in the center of the garden) we planted Mammoth Sunflowers. Next to each sunflower plant, we planted annual Morning Glory Vines. I made a "spider web roof" with yarn that connects all the sunflowers (that are now 12 feet tall). The morning glories are starting to get intertwined in the yarn to make the roof of the sunflower house. The kids love it! It's their hiding place in the garden.
I love to fill our basket with lots of veggies, only to come back the next day to find the basket empty. It feels good that people are eating what we grow.
The garden has produced so much more that we possibly imagined!
Congratulations Cassy!
Great ideas. Thanks for sharing. We have a blogsite www.foodbankgarden.blogspot.com .come see us!
A question to Cassy....do you have any tips about planting the hot peppers? We have been told by Second Harvest, where we turn in our produce for distribution, that hot peppers would be very popular. We plan to grow them next year. When did you plant and when did you harvest? Any varieties that you would recommend? Did you start with seeds or transplants? Thanks so much. Your story is very inspiring.
Sawpalm...
I haven't been on in months! So sorry i didn't see your questions! Well, better late than never!
Here in Oregon, zone 8, we start the peppers indoors in a greenhouse. Our local food-share has access to a large greenhouse. I bet you could just make some phone calls and ask local farmers/nurseries if they'd let you borrow some space in their greenhouse to plant some starts for peppers. People generally don't mind helping out with charitable work, especially when it has to do with gardens.
I can't rememeber the varieties of peppers. Jalapenos are always popular. It depends on the ethnicity of people that are using the local foodbank. Here, we have a large Hispanic population, so tomatillos, jalapenos and tomatoes are really popular.
The spicy Thai peppers are always good and abundant too.
It depends on your weather and zone, but here we don't have any success with planting pepper seeds in the garden. We have to plant well-established starts in May. We plant all our seeds in the greenhouse usually in March (toward the end), then after the first of May, we plant out our starts. Pepper harvests are usually end of August, start of Sept. If you are having a cool spring, and have already planted out your plants, you can make a cloche out of a clear milk carton, or 2 liter clear bottle. Just cut the bottom off the bottle, and put it over the plant. It will keep it warm until the weather heats up. Keep the tip open without a lid to give it ventilation.
Well, hope this helps!
Keep me updated! I'd love to hear how the garden goes.
Cassy
Thanks so much for your response to my question about hot peppers. Great suggestions. We do have a public garden that let's us use their greenhouse for seeding so we will pursue that. It's exciting to think about spring again after a very long and cold winter here. I can feel it coming with more light each day. We are starting to update our blog if you want to take a look. Let's keep in touch! (www.foodbank.blogspot.com)
I volunteer at our church food pantry which we are open M.W. F. and serve around 150 to 200 families per week. We buy groceries at the food bank except bake products are picked up by volunteers at local grocery store. A lot of our parishioners has backyard gardens and bring the produce to us and always go. We love all the produce donations.
We have array of different cultural groups that come and never seen produce wasted or rot.My produce had been slow this year but i had harvested few tomatoes.
Back again after harvesting lots of chili peppers tonight. Our hot peppers and okra are reallying loving this hot weather. Thank goodness. The squash had a hard time.
So far the cayenne peppers, jalepenos and bananas are doing well. Wish we hadn't planted so many cayennes as they are not that good for eating. Next year we will know better what to plant.
Thanks for all the suggestions. We were fortunate to get about 100 plants donated by a local seed/feed store.