LBFS Planting Seeds to End Hunger

Wilma Whitmore poses with her towering tomato plant

Linn Benton Food Share (LBFS) – a CSC program – has been busy this summer with two innovative programs aimed at increasing the amount of healthy, locally grown produce available to those in need in Linn and Benton counties.

Members of LBFS’s 14 gleaning groups took part in the Patio Project, growing 900 vegetable plants at their homes, with vegetables distributed by LBFS. Many gleaners are seniors with gardening experience, and have families eager to learn how to grow food for their children.

FOOD for Lane County also shared a generous BiMart donation of vegetable seeds with LBFS. LBFS distributed seven pallets of seeds, valued at $25,000, across their two-country area for the summer growing season.

Cindy Rice, manager of the Sweet Home Emergency Ministries food pantry in Linn County, distributed some of the seeds to clients accessing emergency food boxes.  She reports that many clients are excited to grow vegetables at home, and are planning to contribute excess produce back to the pantry.

LBFS also offered seed packets to several local programs including the CSC Youth Garden. The group will grow the seeds in the garden, and a portion of what these young people learn to grow is given to partner gleaning groups.

Many generous local businesses provided the vegetable starts and supplies to grow the seeds.

The donations of seeds and starts will help LBFS increase the amount of healthy, locally grown produce available to those in need through their 74 local partner agencies that include emergency food pantries and shelters, soup kitchens, child and senior care centers, residential care homes, and gleaning groups.

LBFS Director Mike Gibson notes that Food Share has made it a priority to increase the amount of fresh, nutritious produce for emergency food boxes. With an increase of 28% this year, a total of over one million pounds of produce will be distributed.

“Linn Benton Food Share is thankful for the generous donation from Bi-Mart and local nurseries,“ Mike stated. “These seeds will provide produce for people who are at risk of going hungry. We always feel good when we can increase the nutritional content of the food we distribute—and in this case, the people planting the seeds have a new way to provide for their families.”

Interested in joining a gleaning group in Linn or Benton counties? E-mail Susan James at sjames@communityservices.us or call her at 541-758-2645.