Our City in a Garden

Grow A Rrow

Small farmers and backyard gardeners can make a difference...

With the start of the growing season, the Grow a Row project seeks growers and gardeners willing to donate a portion of their harvest to the Toledo Seagate Food Bank. You may not think a few cucumbers or too many zucchini would make a difference, but to those hungry people who do not eat fresh vegetables everyday, it is ambrosia.

All you need to do is contact the Center for Innovative Food Technology. You will receive a print copy of How to Help the Hungry in Northwest Ohio, a booklet that tells you where to take your harvest donation or, if you have a large donation, who to call for pickup. The Grow a Row Project spans the 18 counties of Northwest Ohio, so anyone in the area can join this worthwhile project.

Grow A Row Participants for 2009

A brochure for the Grow a Row project was distributed in the fall of 2008 throughout Northwest Ohio. The word spread and many gardeners, along with a number of churches, have joined the project. A number of farmers have decided to specifically plant an acre or more for the hungry. Others will donate their excess harvest. The movement is growing - the project has 40 participants, up from 2008.

For more information on Grow A Row...

If you would like to become a Grow A Row Project food donor or receive more information on the project, please contact Louise Mikesell-Wireman at 419.535.6000, ext.112 or ourcityinagarden@gmail.com. You may also view and download our Grow A Row brochure.

Grow A Row - 2008: A Success Story...

Many farmers have a long-standing relationship with the Toledo Seagate Food Bank and donate a portion of their harvest every season to help the hungry. The Grow A Row project started in 2008 and all types of farmers and gardeners joined in the project. Here are some typical stories:

A farmer from the Holland area harvested his row of melons and donated 20 cantaloupes that ended up at the Kitchen for the Poor. They were cleaned and cut up for lunch and served approximately 200 people.
A North Toledo gardener designated 2 tomato plants for the hungry. His 8 pound donation of cherry tomatoes was distributed to a veterans group that afternoon and 20 veterans received fresh tomatoes in their box that week.
One farmer in Oregon planted a half acre of tomatoes, zucchini, summer squash, beets and turnips specifically for the hungry. Two thousand pounds of fresh produce was harvested and distributed over a nine week period. The majority of the produce was distributed to Northwest Ohio soup kitchens and much of it is parceled out to families in need.
The farmers and townspeople of Edon, a small rural Ohio town located on the Indiana border, donated land and labor to plow, plant, cultivating, harvest and pack potatoes for the hungry. At harvest time, volunteers bagged over eleven thousand pounds of potatoes and donated them to the Toledo Seagate Food Bank. These potatoes were distributed to all participants in the 18 counties.

Here is a breakdown of what was donated for the 2008 season. This produce was given to soup kitchens and distributed to families and individuals through a variety of programs that work with the Toledo Seagate Food Bank.

The figures reflect the number of meals and families served from July through October, 2008. The donations are broken down by agency, shelter and food bank, as well as, product. The product numbers do not represent those farmers who donated produce to local food banks anonymously.

Families & Meals Served in 2008
Agency	Families Served	Meals Served	Produce Donated, lbs
East Toledo Family Center	228	---	824
Fairgreen Presbyterian Church	140	---	604
Feed Your Neighbor #10 Lutheran Social Services	1,288	---	3,474
Feed Your Neighbor #11 Aurora Gonzales Center	1,172	---	3,184
Feed Your Neighbor #13 Martin Luther Lutheran	1,005	---	2,512
Feed Your Neighbor #2 Salem/Agape	796	---	1,990
Feed Your Neighbor #4 Augsburg Lutheran	775	---	1,938
Fredrick Douglass Center	586	---	1,465
Friendly Center, Inc.	302	---	909
Good Shepherd Church	309	---	772
Helping Hands of St. Louis	387	---	968
Jamie Farr Park Community Center	138	---	445
Our Lady of Lourdes	1,741	---	4,352
St. Martin de Porres	829	---	2,072
Shelters
Beach House	---	2,025	5,063
Harbor House/300 Beds, Inc.	---	3,588	11,070
Open Door Ministry, Inc.	---	16,605	41,513
St. Paul's Community Center	---	15,746	39,365
Soup Kitchens
Feed Your Neighbor #2 Salem/Agape	---	2,279	5,697
Kitchen for the Poor	---	9,934	29,628
Our Lady of Lourdes	---	5,344	13,590
St. Patrick's Historical Church	---	1,710	6,275
Total:	9,696 Families	57,231 Meals	177,710 lbs

2008 Produce Donations by Product
Product	Produce Donated, lbs
Apples	26,700
Beets	2,258
Bell Peppers	1,125
Cabbage	1,196
Cucumbers	36,936
Potatoes	29,670
Squash/Melons	29,021
Sweet Corn	40,200
Tomatoes	6,010
Tomatoes, Heirloom	100
Turnips	2,338
Misc. Produce	2,156
Total:	177,710 lbs

Additional Links and Articles...

To obtain additional information on the Toledo Seagate Food Bank and view press coverage of the Grow A Row Project and local gleaning activities, please view the following links.

Toledo Seagate Food Bank
Gleaned Produce Feeding the Needy - An article by Blade staff writer Kate Giammarise
Volunteers Stepping Up in Local Hunger Projects - An article by The Press writer Larry Limpf
Trip to Edon Results in Tons of Potatoes for Needy - An article by The Press writer J. Patrick Eaken

Partner Organizations...

Our City in a Garden
5555 Airport Highway, Ste 100, Toledo, Ohio 43615-7320
419.535.6000 877.668.3472 (toll-free)
419.531.8465 (fax)
© 1995 - 2009 EISC, Inc.

Grow A Row Participants for 2009

For more information on Grow A Row...

Grow A Row - 2008: A Success Story...

Additional Links and Articles...

Partner Organizations...

A message from Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur...

Urban Agriculture Resource Links...