Planting with a Purpose

Encouraging gardeners to share their harvest by growing fresh produce and donating it to local food pantries.

Fighting Food Insecurity Together

Planting with a Purpose is a collaborative program through the Brown County Community Gardens Program for gardeners to donate fresh garden produce to Brown County food pantries. You do not have to have a plot in the community garden program to participate! Anyone can donate fresh food they have grown at home.

Why Donate?

Fresh fruits and vegetables are essential to leading a healthy life, but buying produce can be a challenge for some. Two-thirds of Brown County food pantry users say they would like to eat more fruits and vegetables, but name cost as the top reason they do not. To meet this need, local food pantries would like to offer guests more fresh produce. Donations from your garden help make this possible!

What to Plant

Most pantries accept many types of fresh produce, but especially look for common fruits and vegetables that are easy to store. These include green beans, potatoes, carrots, cucumbers, onions, apples, corn, squash, tomatoes and culturally-relative produce.

Produce Quality Safety Tips

Donate food that is ready to be harvested.
Wash your hands before handling produce.
Brush off as much mud and soil as possible.
Store different types of produce in separate clean, food safe containers. If not donating produce right away, follow recommendations for refrigerating produce.
Keep animals and pets out of the garden.
If you wouldn’t eat it, don’t donate it.