Everybody, romaine calm. This is not a drill! By popular demand, Grow a Row is returning again since 2019 for the growing season of 2021. Summer wouldn’t be the same without the variety of seasonal vegetables that the warm weather brings. Our clients are so excited to eat delicious home-grown produce, their hearts skipped a beet!
Wait, what’s Grow a Row? I’m glad you asked! Grow-A-Row is a great way to help those who need it most. The program takes homegrown produce donated by local gardeners and uses it to create fresh, nutritious meals for our clients. If you’ve been looking for a meaningful way to give back to your community, now is your chance! Simply grow extra produce and drop it off at our office. Then, we will use it in a variety of desserts, entrees, sauces and side dishes.
This year we are accepting:
We kindly ask that all produce must be washed prior to donation and that donations must be 50lbs or less per donation, to ensure we have enough volunteer labor to process timely enough for production. We will not be accepting any fruit, fresh herbs, squash, or tomatoes. Alternatives for waste diversion for items we cannot accept: Operation Fruit Rescue or Rescue Food.
In case you weren’t convinced, check out this list of five reasons why you should get involved with Grow-A-Row this year!
1. It’s an easy and affordable way for you to give back to your community.
Donating to Grow-A-Row is simple and hardly costs a dime. It is a great opportunity for those who may not be able to donate otherwise. All it takes is a little bit of time and a green thumb!
2. You will be supporting the health of your homebound, and senior neighbors.
With your help, we can pack our menu with nutritious meals that our clients enjoy. Plus, the addition of seasonal fruits and vegetables adds variety, which is important for a well-balanced diet!
3. You will be helping us keep the cost of our services low.
Donating your extra homegrown produce to Grow-A-Row provides our clients with fresh, locally sourced meals, without the added price! In 2019, the Grow-A-Row initiative brought in 5,000lbs. of produce. If you think about how much produce costs per pound, you can see just how much of a difference your contributions make!
4. Zero waste!
When you donate your gardens’ bounty to Grow-A-Row, you can be certain that none of it will go to waste. Your donation will be used in the daily meals or cut and frozen for future meals. Every bit counts.
5. You will brighten someone’s day
For many our clients, planting a garden or visiting a local farmers market isn’t an option. They may not even be able to participate in the summer activities they once enjoyed. Therefore, our clients love Grow-A-Row. Like many of us, our clients know that the warm months have arrived when they taste fresh and flavorful produce in their meals. When you donate to Grow-A-Row, you are giving your homebound neighbors a taste of summer that everyone deserves to enjoy.
So, how can you get involved? Simply grow an extra row of produce in your garden and call us @ 780-429-2020 to set up a drop off appointment. To ensure everyone’s safety during this time, we are only accepting donations by appointment only.
We are rooting for you!
