For many home gardeners, a bountiful harvest can be both a blessing and a curse as the inevitable surplus of fruits, vegetables and herbs leave many scrambling for space on the kitchen counter and in the fridge. An upcoming community initiative may help provide a solution to this challenge.
The Island Waste Management Corporation (IWMC), Vesey’s Seeds and Island Food Banks are teaming up as part of the “Plant a Row, Grow a Row” initiative taking place during Harvest Day on the morning of Saturday, September 17. Islanders are encouraged to bring garden produce to their local Waste Watch Drop-Off Centers (WWDC) between 8 a.m. and 12 noon. From there, volunteers will be on hand to assist and to ensure donations are transported to food banks and soup kitchens across Prince Edward Island. Last year, over 1400 kilograms of fresh produce was received from Islanders on Harvest Day.
“One gardener at a time, the “Plant a Row, Grow a Row” program is helping put fresh, nutritious fruits and vegetables and other foods onto the tables of Island families in need,” said Transportation and Public Works Minister Gail Shea, Minister responsible for the Island Waste Management Corporation. “I encourage Islanders to participate in this worthy cause.”
The “Plant a Row, Grow a Row” initiative is a national effort spearheaded by the Canadian Association of Food Banks, the Composting Council of Canada, and the Garden Writers Association of America. The annual program is launched each spring when seeds, donated by Vesey’s Seeds in York, are handed to customers at IWMC’s Compost Appreciation Day. Gardeners are then asked to prepare an extra row, bed, or container in their garden and target the produce for the shelves of their local food banks come harvest time.
“This is such a wonderful program,” said Captain Manuel of Summerside’s Salvation Army Food Bank and Soup Kitchen. “Often at agencies that feed needy people, fresh produce is a rarity with apples and potatoes being the only fresh foods regularly available to families, so every little bit helps,” noted Captain Manuel. “Vegetables not distributed through the food bank help to provide hot, nutritious lunches for more than 50-60 clients on a daily basis at our Soup Kitchen – and this number grows in the winter.”
Many Island families in need will benefit from the “Plant a Row, Grow a Row” Harvest Day. Fresh produce is important for many reasons, including as a source of nutrients which may be unavailable from other sources. Many donations to the Food Banks typically consist of canned vegetables and soups because these are easy for people to donate. The fresh produce collected on Harvest Day helps by ensuring a balanced diet for families in need.
“The donations received from Islanders will certainly be put to good use. Our goal this year is to collect 2500 kilograms and we’re confident that, with the support of Islanders, this is achievable,” said IWMC CEO Gerry Moore.
Moore advised that participants are asked to remove soil from the produce before donating and that non-perishable items such as canned goods will also be accepted. As a gesture of appreciation, each participant will receive a ballot for a gift certificate to be used at Vesey’s Seeds.