Key Points Location and committed management are important to the success of a community garden. Fencing needs to extend underground in some areas to deter ground squirrels and other burrowing animals. Donated plants may not be very productive if received too late in an already…
The mission of the Community Harvest gleaning project is to increase access to healthy local produce. The primary way this is accomplished is through gleaning produce that is distributed through the regional distribution warehouse center to food banks in Chelan and Douglas counties. However, aside…
Plant-a-row and starts Encourage gardeners to Plant an Extra Row (PAR) for the hungry. If possible, get seeds donated attached with a note with information about donating to local food banks. Distribute them at community events, schools, churches, and businesses or fill a basket with seeds and information to…
Growing Plant Starts It is always a good idea to be looking for supplemental forms of income for a project such as Elk Run Farm, where most of the funds have been sanctioned for specific needs such as building physical infrastructure. Selling plant starts is a…
Vashon has a thriving gardening community that is also committed to food justice and equity for all. Gardeners all over the island are ready to grow produce for the food bank can increase food security for themselves and their neighbors.
Towards the end of the growing season (October in Pacific NW), start visiting local stores and writing letters to seed companies asking for donations of last year’s seed. It helps to include your Employer Identification Number (EIN) in your letter to prove your organization’s non-profit status and to allow the donor to deduct donations from their taxes..
Thurston County Food Bank distributed thousands of plant starts during spring and early summer of 2011. Other TCFB programs like the school garden project have plant starts grown for them, but the gleaning program received excess donations from growers. Use this opportunity to introduce yourself to potential donors..
To access plant sales as a gleaning resource, first contact the people organizing the plant sale and offer your program as an option for any fruit or vegetable plants that might be left over after the sale. Master Gardener plant sales are great because they grow high quality plants and have a diversity of species and varieties..
During the 2012 growing season, the gleaning program in Yakima re-packed and distributed an estimated 730 lbs. of seeds to food banks, meal programs, community gardens, and community partners. Volunteers re-packed donated 40-50 lb. bags of seed into half envelope seed packets..
If planning to grow starts for a food bank first check in with the managers to see what the interest level is for the food bank receiving the plants. Will the plants be given out to clients on a normal food distribution day? Are they being received to plant in a food bank garden?