Food bank looks to gardeners

Last year, the Plant a Row program collected more than 20,000 pounds of fresh produce to feed Bloomington residents in need. \nThe program is a collaborative effort between Hoosier Hills Food Bank, Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard, Bloomington Parks and Recreation, Worm’s Way and Bloomingfoods, to encourage local gardeners to grow an extra row of food to help other Bloomington residents.\nMichael Simmons, the adult programs specialist for the Parks and Recreation Department, said that two of the largest drop-off locations are the Cupboard and the farmer’s market on Saturdays. \nMany of the market vendors are also contributors to Plant a Row and shoppers at the market can always purchase extra produce and donate it on-site.\n“Any produce that’s in good shape is welcome,” Simmons said. “Even herbs have a use.”\nMother Hubbard’s Cupboard is the largest food pantry in Monroe County, \nsaid executive director \nBrooke Gentile. \n“We serve 1,450 people in need every week,” Gentile said. \nBesides the donations the Cupboard receives through Hoosier Hills, they have three community gardens which they rent from the city. \n“We get 98 percent of all of our food from Hoosier Hills,” Gentile said. “We’re just one of 85 agencies that goes there.”\nThe organization also provides nutrition education in the form of classes, brochures, pamphlets and human resources.\n“We have lots of volunteer opportunities in all of our programs,” Gentile said. The Cupboard employs only two regular staff members, so they rely on about 90 volunteers each week, roughly 80 percent of whom are also clients. Volunteering information and the application are available on their Web site.\nWhile most IU students don’t have a yard of their own, the Parks and Recreation Department has three community gardens \naround Bloomington. \nThe Crestmont Community Garden on the northwest side of town and the Willie Streeter Garden on the south side are made up of 10-foot-by-20-foot plots that are available for rent from April to October. Both organic and conventional gardening areas are available, the difference being that organic growers do not use chemical pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers.\nWillie-Streeter plots are $41 for the season for Bloomington residents, including IU students, while Crestmont plots are $10. Both gardens have raised beds available for people who may have mobility problems. \nPlots are still available at each, but are filling up quickly, said Bradley Drake of the Parks and Recreation \nDepartment.\n“We certainly encourage all the gardeners to grow extra food,” Drake said.\nThere is also a garden at the Banneker community center. Space cannot be rented, but community members are invited to help out with the programs there.\n“It’s just to teach kids how to garden,” Drake said. “Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard does a lot of education there.”\nStatistically speaking, good fresh produce is hard to come by for families in need and the nutritional value is essential to healthy living, Drake said.\n“It focuses on fresh fruits and vegetables that are grown here locally,” he said. “Providing any food to people in need is so important as \na community.”