Donate Your Garden Extras to the Local Food Bank
There is always that time in the summer when you start getting sick of fresh zucchini. Not because you could ever hate zucchini, but more so because you have planted too many zucchini plants, and you find yourself swimming in zucchinis…or tomatoes…or peppers…you catch my drift.
Heck, this even happens in the fall and spring.
Well, your local food bank would love your leftovers. In fact, there is also a movement to plant an extra row of whatever in your urban garden to be able to give the extras to the local food bank.
During this time of financial hardship, it is imperative that we keep food banks around and remember that we hold the key to keeping people fed. I know, I know, a lot of Americans profess to think of such things as “socialism”, but how can you call anything that helps out the more unfortunate of us any “ism” at all. It is called doing the right thing. A society is only as strong as its lowest members, and if that is socialist sentiment, then I guess that makes me “anti-American” according to some Republicans. Know what I say? You won’t think it is socialism when you are out of work and uninsured and trying to feed the kids.
Politics aside, you would be surprised how many Americans rely on food banks and soup kitchens across the country. The USDA estimates that one out of ten Americans go hungry and most of those are kids. That’s nearly ten million kids, and that is simply inexcusable.
However, as I cannot tackle poverty in this post today, I can however urge you to plant an extra row or two in your garden. Contact your local food bank and see how they prefer to have produce donated. Also, keep in mind to plant the veggies that store well.
From the Contra Costa Food Bank website:
Some produce travels and keeps especially well. Plant extra that will withstand handling as it moves from your garden to a food pantry, soup kitchen or food bank. This includes broccoli, cabbage, carrots, peas, green beans, tomatoes, sweet peppers, summer squash including zucchini, winter squash and onions.
Fruit trees also provide a wealth of good eating. Apples, pears, citrus and firm peaches, nectarines and plums are good bets.
If your local food bank doesn’t take fresh produce, well, that is just silly, but maybe you could change their minds about that. Also, why not get a few of your gardening friends together and coordinate who is planting what to ensure a good variety. Also, increase the efficiency of your operation with one person delivering everyone’s produce instead of everyone driving their own cars.
Just an idea while you start planning out next year’s garden…
gardening, garden, vegetable, planting, produce, veggies, fruit, food bank, donation, donating, soup kitchen, hungry, agriculture, urban gardening, urban farming, society
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