Two (green) thumbs up for Burnsville gardeners
A group of gardeners in Burnsville are helping hungry families by donating part of their harvest to Salvation Army food shelves.
More than half of the 27 gardeners with plots at the Prince of Peace Lutheran Church community garden have agreed to give at least 10 percent of their harvest to The Salvation Army’s food shelf inside the church (pictured above). The food shelf serves about 600 families per month through The Salvation Army’s partnership with Prince of Peace.
“Donated fruits and vegetable are a huge blessing here,” said Salvation Army case manager Joan Moes, who helps oversee the food shelf. “These foods save us money while providing the best possible nutritional value for our guests.”
The harvest is likely to begin in late June, starting with peas. Other fruits and veggies will be picked all summer and into fall. The most helpful produce includes snap peas, beans, tomatoes, carrots, onions, beets, and potatoes.
“This year we are really pushing ‘no-till’ and ‘organic’ gardening, though it’s not a requirement,” said garden coordinator Lynette Kaderlik. “Consequently, we have gardeners trying many different forms of gardening – raised bed, mound, and cold frame.”
The gardeners are as diverse as the foods they grow.
“We have six plots that are gardened by immigrants from the Ukraine,” Kaderlik said. “We have some gardeners who are first-timers, and some repeaters. Some are people who utilize food shelves to provide food for their own families.”
To illustrate the impact these gardeners will have on their community, The Salvation Army will soon begin documenting their efforts through stories and videos. Check back next month to see how they’re doing.
Meanwhile…
Grow a row
The Salvation Army Northern Division encourages all gardeners to “grow a row” and donate the fruits and veggies to any one of our 22 food shelves in Minnesota and North Dakota.
“Gardeners who share a small portion of their harvest can have a big impact on helping their neighbors in need,” said Lt. Col. Robert Thomson, Salvation Army Northern Division Commander.
To find your nearest Salvation Army food shelf, type in your ZIP code at the top of this page. Feel free to call and find out what, if any, specific produce they could use.
Not much of a gardener? No problem. Minnesota FoodShare’s “GardenShare” program offers alternative ways for you to donate fresh produce, and even provides personalized support for starting a new garden from scratch.
“Minnesota FoodShare’s on-staff gardener is available to provide assistance for both community and individual gardens,” said Courtney Zaato, Minnesota FoodShare program coordinator.