Hunger in America is a growing issue. Lost jobs due to the current economic situation have resulted in a greater need for food provided to the needy at food banks and local chairities. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, approximately 33 million people, including 13 million children, have substandard diets or must resort to seeking emergency food because they cannot afford the food they need. Research shows that hundreds of hungry children and adults are turned away from food banks each year because of lack of resources.
Launched in 1995, Plant A Row is a public service program of the Garden Writers Association and the GWA Foundation. Plant a row for the hungry campaign is a program for gardeners to give back to your local community. Gardeners plant one extra row in their garden each year. All vegetables or crops in that row are harvested and given to a local family, food bank, or soup kitchen.
This program doesn't require much money to get started. Only one pound of garden vegetables is needed to feed four people. Please consider planting a row in your garden for your local community. Please click http://www.gardenwriters.org/gwa.php?p=par/index.html to find out more about Plant a Row and to read about the success and history of this program.