"Plant a row" program feeds families

As summer comes to an end and gardeners are preparing their fall crops, some are adding an extra row of plants to help fight hunger. Elementary schoolers in Albany are even getting involved.

Oregon Food Bank’s “plant a row” program gets gardeners, farms and nurseries alike involved in providing fresh produce to low income families. OSU Extension Service, an educational outreach program with an office in Tangent, supports the “plant a row” program.

Nutrition educator Iris Carrasco works in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for community and family health at OSU’s Extension Service. In partnership with Sunrise Elementary in Albany, Carrasco has managed the “plant a row” project in the school’s quarter-acre garden.

For the last five years the kids have had the opportunity to grow fruits and vegetables, journal their plants’ growth, and learn from master gardeners. Their garden club meets with Carrasco once a week year-round, educating them on the value of fresh produce and healthy eating habits.

“The principal was highly motivated to get the school in a healthy state for the kids,” Carrasco said. “Making a healthy decision was an easy decision.”

Of course, the kids love the opportunity to get their hands dirty too.

“It’s the most popular club at school so we have to switch the kids out every 10 weeks,” Carrasco said.

The garden is open to community members who help tend it, giving them and the kids first pick of produce to take home to their families. Much of what is grown is also used seasonally in the school cafeteria.

“We’re stressing to eat more vegetables and fruits,” Carrasco said. “That happens a lot easier when the kids are involved with the growing of their fruits and vegetables.”

Produce not used is donated to FISH of Albany, a non-profit organization providing care packages to an estimated 30,000 underprivileged people in the surrounding area annually. FISH also receives other food donations from local farmers.

“Very little of it spoils. We get rid of it as quick as it comes in,” said Linda Baker, representative of FISH.

The garden at Sunrise Elementary is supported by local businesses that donate to help sustain the program. Tom Krupicka, owner of Tom’s Garden Center in Albany, donates soil to Sunrise Elementary and several other schools in Linn County.

“Both my wife and I believe in supporting the kids and helping them in their education in any way we can,” he said. “It’s just the right thing to do to help the community, and kids are the future of that.”

Casteen Family Farms in Lebanon is one of several local businesses that donates seeds and starts for the garden.

“We grow whatever is donated to us, and whatever we grow is donated to the community,” Carrasco said.

This summer the Sunrise garden club grew peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, raspberries, and strawberries.

As the season changes, the kids will be busy with a new round of crops for the fall, and  community members will benefit from the fruits of their labor making a healthier community all around.

---------------------------------

Did you know...

FISH of Albany serves an estimated 30,000 Linn County residents each year.

This year, Linn Benton Food Share has already distributed 1.4 million pounds of food to over 34,000 households in Linn County.

Last year, Oregon Food Bank distributed 44.2 million pounds of food to hunger-relief agencies.

To donate you can contact FISH of Albany, Linn Benton Food Share in Corvallis or Oregon Food Bank in Portland.