08/26/2026
We are thrilled to spotlight long-time Fresh Food Connect gardener, Pam, who donates her produce to Healthy Day Partners.
Pam’s love for gardening goes all the way back to when she was nine or ten, clearing out backyard weeds to plant her own corn, tomatoes, and cucumbers (in between dodging her brothers' soccer balls!).
Inspired by her father’s elaborate strawberry tiers and front-yard roses, gardening stayed with her through the years. When she and her family moved to Carlsbad in 2019 and built massive terraced garden beds, she finally had the space to grow on the scale she’d always dreamed of. An upgrade she knows her late father would have truly loved.
Whether she’s eating sweet sugar snap peas straight off the vine, gladly accepting gifted passion fruit from a friend's vine to save garden real estate, or chasing a competitive streak to beat her personal donation record of 462 pounds, Pam's passion runs deep.
Knowing her new garden would produce far more than her family could eat, Pam found her way to Healthy Day Partners. Now, she routinely shares her favorites – tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, and squash, and more – right to local families facing food insecurity. Pam knows that fresh food on a table can help balance out the heavier news we see in the world.
As she reminds us, you don't have to be a master gardener to make an impact: "If gardening isn't your thing, there are so many other ways to help. Find something that you can do to make the world a little easier for someone else."
If you're in San Diego, we'd encourage you to get involved with Healthy Day Partners! If not, be sure to still join in on the ever-growing Fresh Food Connect community, especially if we're in your zip code. Tap the link in our bio. 🫶
