Food banks will welcome that extra garden produce

[flamingyouth]

(Note, while this is the case in Seattle, I'd recommend calling your local food bank to make sure that they accept perishable items first.) :)

Every summer, food banks run short while gardens are overrun. Balancing this off-kilter equation is actually pretty simple: move food from gardens to food banks.

Many people think they need to fill a pickup truck with fresh vegetables to be of assistance, but the truth is that every little bit helps. A bag of lettuce, a handful of herbs, a box or two of berries all will be eaten with gratitude by someone hungry.

Generous folks with bigger gardens often plant an extra row of everything for sharing. Last year, enterprising Seattle P-patchers donated more than 40,000 pounds of produce to food banks. For the past few seasons, more and more farmers who sell at public markets have been regularly donating fresh food left over at the end of the day.

Another clever way to get fresh food to people who need it is to buy an extra share of food from a consumer supported agriculture group and donate it to a food bank or soup kitchen. The CSA concept is increasingly popular in the Seattle area, where dozens of small farmers offer full (usually four-person) or half-shares for prices ranging from $300 to $500 for three to five months of fresh produce.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/athome/278191_lovejoy22.html

[Blue Gardener]

1. Always a great idea

Thanks for the reminder.

[Kolesar]

2. "Love Day" on the Democratic Underground

Thanks for the post, that's a great idea. All my Broccoli came in at once and now I know what to do with it.

[politicat]

3. Ours is loving my excess zucchini (or so they tell me...)

Plant three plants and give away a few tons.