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IT'S ALL FOR A GOOD CAUSE

© Connie Krochmal

Fruit gardeners are generous people. They have the interests of the community at heart. Many people can benefit from all this generosity. It may range from established charities to community organizations. Some gardeners contribute herbs, fruits, and vegetables through the Plant A Row program, which was established by the Garden Writers Association in 1995. It encourages gardeners to plant extra rows of edible crops to help the needy. The surplus garden produce can then be donated to local food banks, kitchen cupboards sponsored by churches, homeless shelters, and soup kitchens.

Several years ago I volunteered in the vegetable garden at Cornell Plantations. We harvested and washed all the vegetables and herbs, and delivered them to the local soup kitchen where they were put to good use.

Since the program began, gardeners have donated millions of pounds of garden produce to the needy. In 2003, it totaled one million. Various national organizations have endorsed the program. These include the American Community Gardening Association and the National Gardening Association. In 1999 Home and Garden TV joined as a corporate sponsor. It reaches over 71 million households.

Community-minded gardeners have various ways of participating in community beautification projects. This is often done through garden clubs, and Master Gardener programs. Master Gardeners tend to be very involved in local community gardening projects.

I once lived in a town where there was an Adopt-A-Planter program. This was organized by the local cooperative extension service. Volunteers maintained and watered the planters on the downtown streets.

I took care of a planter in front of a bank, and found it was very worthwhile. Bank employees came outside to take their breaks, and liked to sit on the benches around the planter. They received great enjoyment from the flowers.

Garden clubs are often involved in civic beautification projects. The one I belong to always celebrates Arbor Day by planting street trees in our city. We also donate money to the city's shade tree program. Each year we hold fund-raisers to raise money for a major community project, such as planting a garden at the local hospital or the local science museum.

Gardening can be a way of expressing your patriotism. In 2002 I remember reading newspaper stories about a farmer who arranged hay bales in one of his fields so they formed the letters USA. The same thing could be done with a corn maze.