Plant a Row for the Hungry is a nationwide program designed to encourage home gardeners to donate extra produce to those less fortunate. In Winnebago County, this program is led by Illinois Extension Master Gardener volunteers, with support from the U of I Extension. Plant a Row (PAR) provides a much needed outlet for vegetable gardeners to donate their over-abundance of produce, which helps to meet the increasing demands on local food pantries. All fresh produce brought in by local gardeners is donated to local food pantries. Last year, nearly 20,000 pounds of fresh produce was donated to pantries in Winnebago County.
The Plant a Row for the Hungry Kick Off event will be held at the Edgebrook Shopping Center Farmers Market at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, July 10, 2019. The market is located at the corner of Alpine and Highcrest Roads. This is just one of eight locations where home gardeners can drop off their surplus garden produce, including fruits and vegetables, to be donated to local food pantries.
Year Round drop-off sites include the Extension Office in Rockford, the Rock River Valley Pantry, and the Winnebago-Boone Farm Bureau. Summer drop off sites include the Durand Town Square on Mondays at 10:00 am, the Cherry Valley Library on Tuesdays at 3:30 pm, Edgebrook Farmers Market on Wednesdays from 10 am – noon, Talcott Free Library in Rockton on Wednesdays at 3:30 pm and the Landscape Connection in Rockford.
For more information about Plant a Row for the Hungry, contact University of Illinois Extension – Winnebago County at (815) 986-4357 or visit the website at http://web.extension.illinois.edu/jsw. A complete list of drop off sites and times is available on the website.