My first seed catalog of the year arrived the day after Christmas. I had barely recovered from the bacchanal of my mom's Christmas Eve ham and the avalanche of Christmas paper (even though I told mom to tone it down this year) had barely made it to the recycling bin or my sister's wrapping paper stash. She saves the big pieces for next year, the best way to recycle I suppose.
I don't know about you, but I heart seed catalogs. I can flip through them over and over again, glaring at the glossy, vibrant photos of ripe tomatoes, understated okras, and columnar apple trees. It's like garden porn. Really.
It's almost time to order plants and seeds, and even though your thoughts may not have yet turned to the summer garden, I ask you to think ahead.
If you like to grow things, consider planting an extra row of produce. When it's ripe on the vine and ready to pick, donate it to your local food bank. The Garden Writers of America cooked up a simple project that should appeal to a lot of gardeners. It's called Plant a Row for the Hungry.
You do just that. And with a little bit of dirt, a couple dollars of seeds, and some sunshine, you can provide a valuable commodity to your local food bank.
Food banks are often hard-pressed to get fresh veggies and fruits. They are more expensive than other foods and often aren't available when food banks do bulk buys from grocers and other suppliers.
Having these kinds of healthy options on hand is a great for the food bank and for those that use their services.
These are tough times economically. Food banks have seen demand go up at the same time that donations have gone down. You may not have $100 to donate to the food bank, but you may be able to grow $100 worth of tomatoes, green beans, or fruit in a small patch of your yard.
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