Program encourages donations of excess garden produce to local organizations.
By John Disher, Healthy Community Alliance—
East Central Indiana— Though the skies are drab and we can only dream of the heat and sun of summer, it’s the time of year where avid gardeners are making planting plans so that a harvest will be ready to reap this summer. Gardeners are invited nowto consider intentionally growing an abundance to share produce with community organizations closely connected to neighbors who can use it most.
Grow-a-Row is a national program that focuses on planting, picking, rescuing, and delivering free, fresh garden produce to community partners who will then distribute it to our neighbors.
Gardeners are also welcome to donate produce when they get to the point in the season when the zucchini is stacking up and there are more tomatoes than can be counted!
Grow-a-Row Gardeners have access to 10+ donation sites in Delaware, Blackford, Jay and Grant Counties who will thendistribute the garden bounty to community members in need. Donation sites include food pantries, soup kitchens and other social service organizations.
The local effort is spearheaded by members of the Healthy Community Alliance (HCA) Food Council and Nutrition Workgroup, which meets monthly to explore issues, solutions and possible partnerships related to food insecurity, access, recovery, distribution, healthy options, philanthropy and more.
Find a Grow-A-Row donation site near you by visiting www.healthycommunityalliance.org
To learn more about the Grow-A-Row program or how to get involved with the HCA Food Council and Nutrition Workgroup, please contact John Disher at jdisher1@iuhealth.org or 765.747.3915.
