Launched in 1995, Plant A Row is a public service program of the Garden Writers Association and the GWA Foundation. Garden writers are asked to encourage their readers/listeners to plant an extra row of produce each year and donate their surplus to local food banks, soup kitchens and service organizations to help feed America’s hungry. If every gardener plants one extra row of vegetables and donat
es their surplus to local food agencies and soup kitchens, a significant impact can be made on reducing hunger. WHAT PAR DOES, PAR provides focus, direction and support to volunteer committees that promote herb, vegetable and community gardening at the local level. Then we provide training and direction to enable the committee to reach out into the community. Finally, we assist in coordinating the local food collection systems and monitor the volume of donations being conveyed to food agencies. A Brief History, PAR began in Anchorage, AK, in the garden column of Jeff Lowenfels, former Garden Writers Association president. He asked his readers to Plant A Row of vegetables for Bean’s Cafe, an Anchorage soup kitchen. The program was so successful, he introduced it to GWA as a national program. It took five years to reach the first million pounds of donated produce. The next million was reached in only 2 years, and in the next 10 years, more than a million pounds of food has been donated each year. Since 2011, nearly 2 million pounds of food has been donated each year. This is a significant contribution considering that each pound of produce supplements 4 meals. Since 1995, over 20 million pounds of produce providing over 80 million meals have been donated by American gardeners. All this has been achieved without government subsidy or bureaucratic red tape — just people helping people. You Can Make A
Difference Through PAR! PAR is rooted in the heartfelt tradition of
gardeners sharing a bountiful harvest with
others. Sharing can happen on many levels. Home gardeners, schools, church groups,
youth and community organizations, and even
area businesses can all help make a difference
for their neighbors who experience hunger or
the threat of hunger. Nothing beats the taste and nutrition of
fresh-picked vegetables. Growing and eating
from your own garden can improve your
health, save you money, increase your sustainability,
and decrease your carbon footprint. And most important, your garden can help a
lot of people in need. As an Indi vid ual You
Can Make a Difference:
ɶɶ Plant or glean vegetables, fruit, herbs or
flowers.
ɶɶ Deliver the harvest to a food agency near
you.
ɶɶ Give a PAR brochure to anyone who could
help. GRO1000
In 2012, Plant A Row for the Hungry and the
Garden Writers Association partnered with
the GRO1000 initiative. This program celebrates
the benefits of outdoor living by bringing
community gardens and green-spaces
to economically challenged communities
around the globe. GRO1000’s chief sponsor
is The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company that is
committed to global installment of 1,000 community
gardens by 2018, in recognition of the
company’s 150th anniversary. Other partners
include the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the
National Gardening Association and Franklin
Park Conservatory. During 2012, community gardens were
established in Baltimore, Cleveland, Columbia
(SC), Corpus Christi and San Francisco. An additional 75 community garden grants
were awarded in 2012 to small communities,
building upon the more than 350 gardens
recently established under prior versions of
the GRO1000 program
Harvesting Hope
PAR is a unique community-based program
consisting of over 200 local volunteer committees
supported and coordinated by the GWA
Foundation encouraging gardeners to plant
and donate an extra row of produce for the
greater good in support of food relief organizations
in neighborhoods, cities and counties
nationwide. There is no “typical” hungry person. Rather, he or she looks like all of us and is usually
someone who, due to some unforeseen
events, finds him/herself needing help. Hunger
affects us all, prompting health problems
and deteriorating productivity. PAR helps volunteer committees support
local food agencies that are often the only
hope some people have to put food on the
table for themselves and their children. By
donating produce directly to the food agencies,
gardeners help organizations and their
patrons stretch their meager resources.
