Plant a Row for the Hungry partners with Common Ground Producers & Growers Mobile Market to serve those in need
Monday, June 7, 2021
Donna Pearson McClish, owner and operator of Common Ground Producers and Growers, Inc., collects produce donations for use in their food box program. Assisting her in background is Sharon Gaither.
WICHITA – Plant a Row for the Hungry in Sedgwick County is celebrating its 21st year of providing fresh garden vegetables and fruits in the Sedgwick County area. Donations are collected and distributed by Common Ground Producers & Growers Mobile Market to low-income residents and Kansas seniors. As you plant your garden for the summer, consider planting an extra row or even an extra tomato plant and donate the harvest to the hungry.
Plant a Row for the Hungry is rooted in the tradition of sharing a bountiful garden harvest with others. The program offers a way for those who love to grow vegetables, fruits, and herbs to have an instant effect on the persistent problem of hunger in Kansas. One pound at a time…one row at a time.
Since 2000, gardeners from Sedgwick County have donated 809,289 pounds of fresh produce to the hungry in our community.
The cooperative effort between Sedgwick County Extension Master Gardener Volunteers and Common Ground Producers & Growers is making it possible for the individual home gardener to make a tremendous impact on the widespread hunger problem in Sedgwick County. Each Thursday afternoon during the growing season, Common Ground picks up produce donations from the locations listed below, which have volunteered to serve as convenient drop-off sites. The produce is then distributed to those in need through the Seniors First food box program. Wednesday afternoons or Thursday mornings are the recommended drop-off times to ensure peak freshness. Drop-off locations include:
- Augusta Ace Home Center, 316 W. 7th Ave. (Augusta)
- Brady Nursery, 11200 W. Kellogg
- Hillside Nursery, 2200 S. Hillside
- Hillside Feed and Seed, 1805 S. Hillside
- Johnson’s Garden Centers, 6225 E. Shadybrook and 2707 W. 13th
- Valley Feed & Seed, 1903 S. Meridian
- Woodard Mercantile, 4160 N. Maize Rd. (Maize), and 1313 E. US-54 (Andover)
All peak-quality fresh fruits and vegetables are appreciated. From the potatoes of spring to tomatoes of summer and squash from fall, all products are shared within the community. Whatever you grow best and abundantly in your garden is appreciated.
Launched in 1995, Plant a Row is a public service program of the Garden Writers Association and the GWA Foundation.
