It seems like agencies that serve underprivileged people are always stretched to their limits.  So our challenge with the FGU program is to help agencies to learn about how to grow, store, and prepare fresh produce in a way that is exciting, but also manageable for busy agency staff members. Ultimately, our goal is to not only provide healthy food to front line organizations, but to help them become their own source of fresh produce through farmers markets, urban gardening, and partnerships with local growers.

Some agencies are a little hesitant at first, but they get the hang of it in no time. After two years of participating in the FGU Fresh Produce Grant, Martha’s Table has started growing their own produce on location! Last summer they built raised, movable garden beds in an underutilized parking lot by their trash bins.  This will be a learning tool for the kids in their daycare program. Bounty from the garden will supplement the produce received from Clagett farm to help feed kids in the daycare, as well as folks from the “McKenna’s Wagon” mobile food pantry. Growing in the beds are wax beans, bell peppers, tomatoes, onions, kale, celery, morning glories, and lots of herbs. They even built a trashcan compost which can be easily rolled for aeration.  Check out the Martha’s Table post to see the whole story of their urban garden adventure!

Aromatic herbs help deter the smell from the trash bins behind them.

Can you believe they did all this in a matter of weeks? Go Martha’s Table!

The FGU Fresh Produce Grant is a partnership project of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Clagett Farm and the CAFB with the goal of providing up to 50% of Clagett’s harvest to low-income individuals in the Washington, DC metro area.  We invite you to help us Share the Harvest by contributing to this wonderful collaboration. For more information about the FGU Fresh Produce Grant, or to get an application for your CAFB agency visit our FGU page.

Harvest for Health had no intention of starting a new program this spring, but we were open to it when the need presented itself.  Actually, the need has always been there.  We know that we need to get more fresh produce to the people who most need it – that’s why our department exists.  But the opportunity became more apparent when home gardeners started calling us. “Where can we take our extra vegetables?” Within weeks Grow a Row was born!

Rather than ask gardeners to bring their produce to the Capital Area Food Bank warehouse, we connect them with one an organization in their local community. The best part of this “Grow a Row” program is what goes unmeasured.  We can measure the produce that is donated, but how can we measure the connections that are being made?  When we made a connection in Cheverly, Maryland our gardener said, “I didn’t even know this place existed!” The agency
staff responded, “now that you know about us, you can send people here who need help.”  Hopefully communities and neighborhoods will grow closer through this effort — people who are already doing good work can team up to make not only a nutritious meal for a person in need, but a lasting connection to strengthen the community.

Are you interested in learning more about Grow a Row, or how you might get involved for the 2010 growing season? Email us.