From your garden to your local food bank

Jennifer — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 13:32:42 +0000

(NC)-When it’s time to harvest tomatoes, zucchini, carrots or squash from the garden, many people find they have more fresh produce than they need. Often neighbours and family are the lucky recipients of the extra veggies and berries. But there is another option. Consider sharing your bounty with those who will benefit most in your community.

Plant a Row-Grow a Row is a national initiative across Canada dedicated to helping gardeners share their homegrown produce with those less fortunate through the Canadian Association of Food Banks. The program was initiated in 1986 when Winnipeg green thumbs Ron and Eunice O’Donovan decided to donate their excess produce to the local food bank. Friends and neighbours warmly embraced this concept, and soon fresh fruits and vegetables flowed to the Winnipeg Harvest. Today the program is supported by the Garden Writers Association, Scotts Canada, and the Composting Council of Canada, a national non-profit organization devoted to advancing the use of composting as a means of reducing Canada’s waste stream.

The Canadian Association of Food Banks is the national umbrella group for food banks in Canada, with members in every province. The Association distributes corporate food donations and works on behalf of its members and the families they serve, with the objective that no one should go hungry in Canada. Now you can play a part simply by thinking of others while you enjoy your garden.

More information on Plant a Row-Grow a Row is available online at www.compost.org. Get growing.

Credit: www.newscanada.com

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From your garden to your local food bank