Today’s guest blog is from Anne Marie Van Nest, president of the Garden Writers Association Foundation, about a very cool program called Plant A Row for the Hungry. Veggie gardeners have the power to connect with and help their communities through PAR and programs like it. Think about ways you can get involved! ~ The Burpee Home Gardens Team
Planting a vegetable garden soon? Plan to grow an extra row (or two) this summer for those in need of healthy, nutritious, fresh vegetables. Share a little of your garden harvest to help support the food relief organizations in your community so that fewer adults and children go to bed hungry. Plant a Row for the Hungry is a simple message that garden writers nationwide are asking fellow gardeners to do – just people helping people. Nothing beats fresh-picked vegetables right out of the garden and sharing this bountiful harvest keeps a heartfelt gardener tradition strong. No matter where you garden, you can help feed the hungry.
Plant a Row for the Hungry (PAR) is a program that began 15 years ago in Alaska when garden columnist and Garden Writers Association President Jeff Lowenfels asked his readers to plant a row of vegetables for Bean’s Café, an Anchorage soup kitchen. The program was so successful Jeff introduced it to the Garden Writers Association as a national program. Now each year well over 1 million pounds of produce is donated to local food banks, soup kitchens and service organizations with over 200 community grassroots groups supporting the program and helping those in need in their local community.
To contact one of over 200 local Plant a Row for the Hungry groups across North America, learn how to start a Plant a Row campaign in your area, or to find a food bank to donate surplus vegetables near you, visit the www.gardenwriters.org website, email par@gardenwriters.org or call 877 492-2727.