Plant-A-Row for the Hungry Program at U of I

From press release

The University of Illinois Extension-Winnebago County Master Gardener Program officially kicks off the 2010 Plant-a-Row for the Hungry collection. PAR is a nationwide program that promotes the donation of extra garden produce to local food pantries—it is a people-helping-people effort.

Plant-a-Row encourages gardeners to plant an extra row of vegetables in their gardens and then donate their surplus to local food banks and soup kitchens. With more than 70 million gardeners in the U.S., a significant impact can be made to reduce hunger.

University of Illinois Extension-Winnebago County Master Gardeners are in their 10th year of coordinating Plant-A-Row in the Rockford area. The goal this year is to collect 18 tons of produce and distribute it to Rockford’s hungry. The Master Gardeners staff multiple drop-off sites on different days of the week to make it easy for the general public to participate.

There is a new drop-off at the Hearth and Garden Gift Shop & Coffee House, 427 N. Center St., on the square in Durand, Ill. This new drop-off location will collect donated produce on Thursdays from 1 to 3 p.m.

To share your harvest with the hungry, donate your extra garden veggies at the following collection sites and times:

University of Illinois Extension office, 4311.W. State St., Rockford

Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.to 4 p.m.

Rock River Valley Pantry, 1080 Short Elm St., Rockford

Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

July through September, you can drop off at:

OSF St. Anthony, Roxbury Road (across the street from Rockford Gastroenterology)—Tuesdays, 5 to 7 p.m.

Edgebrook Farmers’ Market

Wednesdays, 10 a.m. to noon

Hearth and Garden Gift Shop & Coffee House, 427 N. Center St., Durand

Thursdays, 1 to 3 p.m.

For more information, contact the University of Illinois Extension at (815) 986-4357 or access the Web site at www.extension.illinois.edu/winnebago.

From the Sept. 1-7, 2010 issue

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