April is National Gardening Month. Many area gardeners will begin preparing their summer vegetable gardens.
In honor of this month, maybe you and your family could consider growing a little extra this year to assist others.
One in eight people in the United States go hungry each day. As unemployment rises and the economic times are uncertain, it’s important to realize that people in the Ozarks are not excluded from going hungry. In 1995 the Garden Writer’s Association of America (GWA) launched a national campaign called “Plant a Row for the Hungry” that recognizes the need to provide healthy food for those in need.
The concept behind Plant a Row for the Hungry is simple. Donate the extra produce from your garden to a local food pantry, shelter, or soup kitchen. This is a great way to help your community, and if you include your children or grandchildren in the project, you may also provide a valuable life lesson.
Depending upon your particular growing interests, you may actually want to plant an extra row or an extra plant of everything and give those items away. If you have a specific charity in mind that can use your produce, you may want to call them to find out what their clients particularly need to eat.
If you live in a neighborhood or have neighbors that have an interest in gardening, you may want involve them by setting aside a specific place in your garden to grow a garden that everyone can cultivate with the plan of giving away all the harvest.
Locally, the Texas County University Extension Office is works with the Texas County Master Gardeners to grow a community garden in Houston. This group is seeking help with the project, so even individuals that don’t grow their own garden can assist in growing food to help others.
Plant a Row for the Hungry began in Anchorage, Alaska, when a garden writer and former GWA president asked his readers to plant a row for “Bean’s Cafe,” an Anchorage soup kitchen. The program was so successful he introduced his idea to the GWA.
Today, over 14 million pounds of produce have been donated providing over 50 million meals for hungry Americans. There is no red tape to this program; it’s just gardeners helping people.
More information about Plant a Row for the Hungry is available at www.gardenwriters.org/Plant-a-Row. Information about the Texas County Community Garden is available by contacting the Texas County Extension Office at 417-967-4545 or simply contact your local food pantry or shelter to find out what their produce needs may be.
Questions or comments related to gardening? Contact Joleen at missourigardener@hotmail.com.