It was a natural thing Sue Remley to give her extra produce she grows at her plot at the Lakeland Community Garden to the Lakeland Food Pantry.
“If you had extra whatever there were coolers and you could put things in it and they would take it to the Food Pantry on the days that they were going to be open,” said Remley.
That since evolve the community garden having dedicated plots to grow for the pantry. They’re expanding it this year with metal tubs to grow more. Remley is now the garden’s Food Pantry Coordinator.
Last year, they donated more than 380 pounds of vegetables.
“There's so many people that go there every week for food,” said Remley. “A lot of people don't have gardens up here because of the animals and the woods and everything else. We're able to produce things and donate them just because it's a good cause. And they appreciate it so much.”
Between what the community garden donated coupled with vegetables from other gardeners in the area, the Lakeland Pantry received almost 2,400 pounds of produce last year.
The donations came through the pantry’s Grow a Row program.
It was the first year for the program that encourages gardeners to grow extra produce or donate what they don’t use to the Lakeland Pantry.
“It makes a big difference,” said Ginny Buzzell, a Lakeland Pantry Board Member and volunteer. “Because customers do like to cook. That fresh produce, it just makes them I mean the smiles on their face when you say, ‘Would you like this or would you like this?’ And they're like, ‘Oh, yes. It's so awesome.’”
Buzzell says churches, community gardens, and even a preschool participated last year.
“We don't want people to suffer from food insecurity and anything that we can do to help that and help those folks, we want to do that,” said Buzzell. “It's all about neighbors helping your neighbors.”
Gardeners wanting to participate simply bring their extra produce to one of the drop off sites.
Donations are welcome at Lakeland Pantry Tuesdays 8:30am –11:30am, and Thursdays 3:30pm – 6:00pm.
Donations may also be dropped off at JJ’s Acres and Stoney Creek Home and Garden during each businesses’ hours.
