One of the challenges that comes with gardening is determining how much to plant and then managing the bounty when the harvest comes in. For many gardeners, whether in their community garden plots or backyards, the amount of fresh produce may be more than anticipated.
Excess produce, however, doesn’t have to go waste.
Food banks are always on the lookout for fresh produce to include in their boxes, and gardeners can donate their bounty to help people facing food insecurity. Many gardeners factor food banks’ needs as they plan their vegetable gardens, adding rows of high-demand vegetables specifically for donation. Here are a few things gardeners should consider to help feed people in the community.
Find a food bank for your produce
The “Food Finder” resource on Oregon Food Bank’s website makes it easy for gardeners to get in touch and partner with local food banks near them. Ampleharvest.org is another resource gardeners can use to learn more about partnering with local agencies and getting involved.
Ashley Mumm, public relations manager with Oregon Food Bank, said that they have seen a large increase in the amount of need for food assistance since the start of the pandemic and are emphasizing local efforts by connecting many of their food donations to local partner agencies. Mumm added that all garden fruit and veggie donations are appreciated, and no quantity is too small.
“(Food pantries) don’t get enough fresh produce,” said Karen Kennedy, manager of Lents Community Garden. “When we show up to donate, the smiles the local food pantries have when they see us coming, they know that produce will be gone within hours.”
Community gardeners can join Produce for People
One program that community gardens use to partner with is Produce for People. Established in 1995 by Portland Parks and Recreation, the mission was to help increase food security and combat Portland’s high poverty rate. In 2019, Produce for People received over 228,653 pounds of produce donated by 40 of the 57 community gardens. These fruits and vegetables went to more than 26 different food pantries in Portland.
Check with your community garden manager to see if your community garden is part of the program. If not, gardeners can start Produce for People at their garden by creating a team of two to three people with someone volunteering to be a coordinator. Participants plant an extra row in their garden designated to donate and encourage other gardeners to do the same. Visit portland.gov/parks/community-gardens/produce-people for more information or email Mikael Brust, community gardens technician, at mikael.brust@portlandoregon.gov.
Grow foods that will be in high demand
Each agency has its own needs, so gardeners should reach out to their food bank partners for guidance. Generally, food banks are happy to receive tomatoes (picked when slightly under-ripe), green beans, winter squash (acorn or butternut), hot peppers (jalapeno or chile peppers), cucumbers, zucchini, collard greens, kale, garlic, beets and onions.
Prepare your produce for delivery
Mumm offered these tips for preparing produce: After harvesting leafy greens, let them sit in a bucket of cold water to help keep them crisp; bring leafy greens in plastic bags to hold in moisture; lay fragile greens, like lettuce, in a box or bag between wet sheets of newspaper; and wash root crops before donating.
It’s not just about fruits and vegetables
At Woodlawn Community Garden, one gardener focuses on growing herbs and will donate them by the bundle, said garden co-manager John Laurence. Rosemary, cilantro, parsley, basils of all varieties, thyme and sage are all great candidates for donation.
Nancy Flynn, Woodlawn co-manager, has donated bouquets of dahlias along with produce from her community garden and was delighted to learn that the flowers were included with bags of food given to food bank clients.
“I feel like we do a good job of sharing wealth, abundance and quality that comes out of these plots,” she said.
— Aliya Hall, for The Oregonian/OregonLive
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