Plant a Row for the Hungry: Wrap Up

Yesterday, I gave my last donation of homegrown produce to Harvester's, our local food bank. As I reported last May (before my life got flipped upside down) I rented a plot in my community garden with the intent of growing food for the hungry. The local foodbank has a program called "Plant a Row for the Hungry," which is a national program/movement/whatever. The idea is that home gardeners plant an extra row of produce to donate.

I have been giving all season. I planted items that the foodbank recommended as good to donate. I had more success with some things than others.

On 10/15, I harvested 15 beets from the plot.

Initially, I planted mustard greens, peppers (banana, jalapeno, bell), parsley, green beans, and zucchini.  Later in the season, I did a second planting of greens, Red Sails lettuce, and beets. I had the most success with the greens, lettuce and beets. Next best were the parsley and banana peppers. The bell peppers really started to produce after the heat of summer was over. I only started getting jalapenos since the end of September.

The green beans and zucchini were a bust. The beans were attacked by some kind of bug that chewed holes in the leaves, and those plants got overwhelmed (buried!) by the giant zucchini plants. The zukes got attacked by vine borers as I knew they would, but I hoped they'd produce before they keeled over. I think I got 4 fruits before a mouse family moved in, and I never saw another zucchini, baby or better.

I did grow some impressive zucchini plants, though.

As you can see, the beets were extremely successful. I have such giddy delight when I harvest!!

Bundled in bunches of five.

Beets are doubly good - you can eat the greens and the roots.

I donated about 20 pounds of fresh produce to Harvesters this season. I hope it went to good use. Next year, I will try to build a team for this project - it was a lot of work on my own and I think I'd feel more accomplished if I could enlist a group to help tend the garden and deliver the produce.