A humble request to my fellow gardeners...

To my fellow gardeners/small farmers:

NAMASTE

Pardon the interruption, I know it's a busy time of the year, but:

I humbly ask that as you start your gardens this year you remember the hungry in America. One in ten U.S. households experiences or is at risk of hunger. Here in Alabama, the number is a little higher, 13% of the population is "food insecure" - meaning "limited or uncertain access to enough food for a healthy life".
The gardening world can and does help make a difference. One way is to participate in the national Plant a Row for the Hungry program. It's as simple as planting a little extra, then donating the extra yield (and main garden surplus) to a local food bank, soup kitchen, shelter or any service organization that feeds the hungry.It means that nothing goes to waste, that the "food insecure" have access to fresh, healthy food, and that food relief agencies can use their limited funds ($$$) for other needed items. It's a people-helping-people, non-government type thing that is also a very hippie kind of thing to do.

http://www.gardenwriters.org/par/

The most direct and efficient way I've found to help is to simply call a local food relief agency and say the three little words, "Can I help?"
If you don't know who to contact you can go to Second Harvest Food Bank: http://secondharvest.org/

I imagine a lot of ya'll do this already, just thought I ask anyway.

Thank You All, now get back to work .....

Peace,
poor_old_dad

 

Prompting never goes amiss P_O_D! Bless you, as always!

I would just like to add one thing to this. There are many older people in the community who are too proud to go to agencies and who are often unable to carry heavy loads like fresh veg produce back from a store. If you can, share some of your produce with some of your older neighbours!

 

aww, thanks for the reminder!

Our local food shelf can't accept produce donations. I don't get the whole explanation, but it comes down to their location & potential risks?!?

We have found a low-income retirement complex that will willingly accept any donations though. They have a free-table in their common room & while a local bakery donates to them, they rarely see fresh produce. Our 27 square-feet of garden rarely produces excess, but my mom has been known to send us in with box after box from her garden.
love,
mom

 

Also if you have kids in your neighborhood ask them if they would like to help in your garden and send them home with a bag of yummies. I had a family just move from my road but 2 of the kids were helping me. They were very interested and right proud of themselves when they could say they helped grow what they took home.

I also have a few elderly neighbors that cannot garden anymore. I like to hang bags on their doorknobs with stuff inside.
Dad's right the old food dollar does not go as far as it used to.
Pisses me off when they say things about "potential risks" hsmomma...like half the shit in the store is actually "good" for you....mmmm apples sprayed with crap..strawberries you should not eat...lettuce with e coli on it...spinach all over the news....pets dropping dead from pet food.....yeah, healthy red tape there...

Of course people do at times run the other way when they see me coming with yet MORE FREAKING ZUCCHINI !!!!!!

 

We help support our local food bank which is run by the Lions Club. Myself and my wife are members of the American Legion.
Due to our short growing season, not much in the way of garden grown stuff is donated. It's mostly canned goods, dry goods and frozen products that are available.
Last year we donated over $20,000. through the Legion Post. Also the Elks and Masons are large contributors......

 

Spot on! I think it's a case of beaurocracy gone mad....environmental health meets health and safety here. Some of the agencies here are like that for those reasons. And you're right Teepi. MOST of the food in most stores is probably full of stuff we can't pronounce...and therefore should not eat.

 

man P.O.D. and the rest of ya, i love ya,you guys are so cool.helpin the earth and its people.
we take a few bags of veggies to the food bank her.i think they are getting pretty tierd of garlic tho lol.
im happy to know such wonderfull people
peace

 

Hey I've been the recipient of bags on the door when I hit a hard finacial period and they were most welcome. I am now passing on my harvest with my neighbors in the same way. It's true many of the elderly will try and subsist on the minimum and what they can carry or afford. And sharing on a personal individual level since my garden is small is equally as fulfilling.

 

Someday I'll tell you all about the summer I lived on cucumbers and zucinni.