Years ago I made a classic novice gardener mistake: I planted a dozen zucchini. What to do with the abundance? Leave them on neighbors’ porches in the dead of night? Search for unlocked cars I could stash them in?
A letter to the editor provided the answer. It said “Plant a row for the hungry.” Alas, it appeared in late July, long after everyone had already planted their vegetable gardens. But it solved my zucchini problem.
The heartfelt thanks I got when I brought my zucchini to a local food bank was addictive. So the next year I doubled my garden space. The year after I doubled it again.
It’s not a lot of trouble to till a row for the hungry. It’s not expensive to seed a row for the hungry. It’s easy to water a row for the hungry. OK, I admit it’s not a lot of fun to weed a row for the hungry. But, what a blessing to harvest a row for the hungry.
There are a lot of hungry families in Clark County. Fresh fruits and vegetables are particularly scarce. So when you plan your vegetable garden, please plant a row for the hungry.
Bridget Schwarz
Ridgefield
