Not going to waste
Extra produce helps feed county's poor through Plant A Row Program
By Katherine Peters CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Ryan Thomas of the Chesterfield Farm Bureau harvests squash from his garden for the Plant a Row for the Hungry program.

Ryan Thomas and Lee Thompson are extreme gardeners. The two men have shared a 5,500-squarefoot garden for years, harvesting hoards of squash, tomatoes, okra and other vegetables each summer. But both men are now agents for the Chesterfield Farm Bureau and find themselves with less time to can and freeze their produce.

So what to do with those extra wheel-barrowfuls of snap beans?

They found the answer when the Chesterfield and Prince George County Farm Bureaus joined the Garden Writers Association's Plant a Row for the Hungry program, encouraging gardeners and farmers to plant a little extra to benefit the Central Virginia Food Bank (CVFB). The Farm Bureaus sent out over 3,500 letters to their members to promote the effort.

Now, the Farm Bureau's Chester and Midlothian offices function as drop-off points for CVFB, collecting fresh produce for its Kids' Cafes and food pantries throughout the county as the harvests start to come in.

Since May, the Chesterfield offices have collected 1,375 pounds of fresh produce, according to receipts.

But that's a small number, as summer harvests are just beginning.

Valerie Davis, who heads the program from the Midlothian office, has been contributing a few pounds each week from her own garden. Still, she stresses that the program "isn't just for our members."

"It's open for everybody. It's for people who participate just because they have a garden in the backyard and just want to kick in something."

While retailers often donate produce to CVFB, fresh produce from gardens and farms is a welcome change, says Rick Holzbach, CVFB's food resource manager. "Often when we get produce donated by a retailer, it's because it already has a certain amount of waste in it" which CVFB volunteers must pick out.

The CVFB's distribution network allows the organization to capitalize on drop-offs at the Farm Bureaus, delivering fresh produce wherever it's needed in the county.

The Plant a Row initiative received a jumpstart earlier this summer when the Chesterfield Berry Farm needed to harvest an early crop of strawberries. Volunteers from the Farm Bureau picked over 1,100 pounds of the juicy berries, which were then distributed to Kids' Cafés.

"That means 1,700 kids each got eightounces of fresh fruit," Holzbach said.

Kim Bridges, spokesperson for CVFB, says programs like Plant a Row are especially important in the summer when shortages of canned goods often occur while demand skyrockets. CVFB's Kids' Cafés, which function as a supplement during the school year when federal programs provide lunch at school, take on a heavier load during the summer vacation.

"Many of them [children eligible for feeding] go to structured all-day programs where we provide breakfast and lunches," said Bridges. "We're doubling our meals to try to meet those demands for those children."

Kids' Café sites provide breakfast and lunch for about 2,200 children in the summer months, compared with snacks or dinner meals only for 1,700 during the school year. Each meal must be USDA-compliant, offering balanced selections from each group in the food pyramid.

While Chesterfield is below the state average, about 7 percent of county residents still fall below the federal poverty level. That percentage is slightly higher for children, hovering around 9 percent.

The CVFB partners with 50 Chesterfield food pantries, faith-based organizations, and other agencies with feeding programs, providing 298,179 pounds of food in 2006. They also supply 4-5 summer programs helping Chesterfield area kids.

The A+ Center of Excellence, a martial arts based program in the Falling Creek area, is one site that receives food via CVFB. The program focuses on character building for about 50 area children, providing them with breakfast, lunch and snacks throughout the day.

"The Food Bank makes it so convenient for some of my parents who may not be able to provide all the things that the children may need," said Dr. Anna Christian, the program's director. "It's just a blessing."

The Farm Bureau will continue to collect produce for sites like A+ Center of Excellence throughout the summer and potentially into the fall. According to Davis, the program will keep going "as long as people have something to harvest and have a little bit extra. That's the key."

Want to share?

Have extra fruits or veggies from your own garden? The Farm Bureau encourages all community gardeners to help out the Central Virginia Food Bank. Drop off your fresh produce at either Chesterfield Farm Bureau location:

Chester office 3801 West Hundred Rd. Chester, Va. 23831 748-5467

Midlothian Office 13619 Hull Street Rd. Midlothian, Va. 23112 639-4070