Donate Your Garden Excess to Food Pantries

Do you ever grow more produce than you can eat?

Sometimes I do. We end up giving it away to friends and family Some gardeners grow enough to sell at the Farmers Market. But then you end up spending your Saturday mornings sitting in a lawn chair.

But here’s another option for gardeners with a bounty: donate your crop to one of the local food pantries. Bill Voshalike has been growing a garden in the sandy soil between Fayetteville and Columbus since 2009.

“In 2022,1 felt challenged, maybe called, to pick one crop, onions (1015Y Sweet and Southern Belle Red), and try to grow extra to give for distribution to patrons of AMEN La Grange,” Voshalike said.

“Without a significant amount of additional work or cost, it was possible to deliver about 70 lbs. of onions.”

Last year, he more than doubled that amount, delivering 160 lbs. of onions to the AMEN Food Pantry. This year, he decided to grow an extra few rows of okra and beets. Not only is Voshalike helping to feed the less fortunate families in our community, he is also providing fresh, nutritious food, not the boxed or canned food full of sodium and preservatives typically offered at food pantries.

“It’s not really been all that hard for me to pick out a crop here and there and try to double it,” Voshalike said.

Voshalike wants to connect with other area gardeners who might be interested in helping the food pantry.

“If there are other gardeners in the area, who’d like to help grow for the food pantry, I’d like to participate,” he said. Voshalike said gardeners could coordinate their efforts and plan their growing seasons. Potentially, they could keep the pantry stocked with seasonal produce throughout the year.

Susan Schultz, Vice President of AMEN Food Pantry, said she welcomes the idea.

“With fresh fruits and vegetables, for our clients, that’s the part of the grocery store they can’t afford,” Schultz said.

Schultz said the Central Texas Food Bank has been trying to provide local pantries with more fresh foods and vegetables. But there’s never enough to go around.

“We have a few gardeners that bring things in,” Schultz said. “But we’re serving more than 100 clients a week.”

Right now, Schultz said a few gardeners have been donating okra since it’s in season.

“Maybe the first 20 people get okra, but then no one else gets any,” Schultz said. “Even if we’re selective, if we just give them a little bit, we still don’t have enough.”

Schultz said onions are in great demand. Lately, they’ve been limiting onions to one per patron. Carrots are also in high demand, along with peppers.

Gardeners can drop off produce at AMEN on Monday mornings after 8 a.m. or between 10 a.m. - noon on Thursdays. The pantry accepts donations through the side door of their facility, located at 851 S. Reynolds St. in La Grange. Any fellow gardeners interested in coordinating their growing efforts to benefit the pantry, email me at andy@fayettecountyrecord. com. I’ll put you in touch with Voshalike.

For gardeners in the southern part of Fayette County, please consider donating to the Schulenburg Area Food Pantry. You can deliver produce or fruit to the Schulenburg Pantry, located at 304 East Ave., between 8-9 a.m. on Thursdays.