When donating to a local food pantry, is your first thought to search for some nonperishable food items? While cans and boxes of food are needed and welcomed, efforts are underway to harness the growing capacity of Granite Staters to provide fresh food.
Strafford County 4-H and Extension’s Nutrition Connections program began Plant a Row with 4-H as part of a national initiative to provide food pantries with more locally grown, fresh and in-season produce.
Plant a Row encourages individuals, families, farmers and community garden members to plant an extra row, an extra container or an extra garden bed. This produce is then donated to food pantries or a neighbor in need or helps supplement a family’s own produce intake.
Plant a Row’s success is rooted in community engagement. Families and individuals sign up in the spring and receive a colorful garden kit containing seeds, helpful resources, a fabric bag and gardening gloves. They receive a list of participating food pantries and can self-report quantities they donate.
4-H club leader Shelley Drake grows a variety of vegetables with her family in Lee, but the tried-and-true items include wax beans, tomatoes, acorn squash and potatoes. They donate the produce to the Wilkinson Food Pantry, which is housed in a church.
“One of the women who runs it is the children’s librarian. She’s lovely and has given us a tour and explained the food pantry setup. It’s within walking distance so we can walk our vegetables over to the food pantry,” Drake says.
Having participated in 4-H from age 10 to 18, Drake says it was “always one of my dreams to have a 4-H group and have my own kids do 4-H.” She runs a 4-H club that is primarily focused on agriculture with lots of outdoor activities, including gardening.
Being able to share the experience of growing food has been special for Drake and her children. “There are people in our community who are hungry and could use some extra fresh vegetables. We have the opportunity and the space. We feel fortunate to be able to do this,” she says.
Alleviating Food Insecurity and Insufficiency
Allison Bussiere serves as the food systems coordinator for Gather, an organization that provides nutritious food and prepared meals to those experiencing hunger by serving more than 9,000 Seacoast residents each month and distributing over 1.5 million pounds of food each year.
Bussiere works with groups at the local, regional and state levels to build partnerships, inform programming and strengthen the food system.
She weighs in on the significance of programs like Plant a Row and provides perspective about food access:
“Programs like Plant a Row with 4-H are essential in the Seacoast region for several reasons. They enhance access to fresh produce, significantly improving the nutritional quality of food available at food pantries, community kitchens and shelters. This is especially important now as food insecurity is on the rise and there has been a steady increase in people relying on the charitable food sector for support. These kinds of programs also promote community involvement by motivating residents to participate in gardening and volunteerism, thereby fostering a sense of community responsibility.
“Moreover, initiatives like Plant a Row provide valuable educational opportunities related to gardening, nutrition, the local food system and sustainability. Environmentally, these programs help reduce food waste and its associated climate impacts by redirecting surplus produce to those in need, rather than allowing it to rot in fields, landfills or even compost piles. This makes donating produce a highly effective way to ensure it is used for its highest and best purpose — feeding people.
“Many local pantries, community kitchens and shelters welcome produce donations along with non-perishable items.
“Hunger affects every county and congressional district in New Hampshire, yet many are unaware of the significant disparities in their own communities. Those facing food insecurity could be our neighbors or children in our kids’ classes.
“Food insecurity as defined by the USDA occurs when people don’t have enough to eat and don’t know where their next meal will come from. In New Hampshire, one in 10 residents and one in seven children experience food insecurity, a systemic issue driven by high living costs, expensive housing, unemployment and low-wage jobs.
“Food insufficiency — having some food but not always enough or the desired kind — also plagues many. As of April 2024, NH Hunger Solutions reports that 41% of adults and 49% of children in New Hampshire live in households with insufficient food, with nearly 30% of older adults also affected.
“The charitable food sector supports community members who are experiencing food insecurity or insufficiency. Over the past year, local agencies have seen a steady increase in service demand, with many seeking assistance for the first time.
“In 2023, Gather experienced a 43% increase in individuals served by its Pantry Market and Mobile Markets, and a 29% decline in food donations. Despite these challenges, Gather, other local food pantries and community-supported programs like Plant a Row remain committed to improving food security in the Seacoast region.”
