To keep food pantry stocked with fresh produce, seniors turn to backyard gardens - The Patriot Ledger

To keep food pantry stocked with fresh produce, seniors turn to backyard gardens - The Patriot Ledger

QUINCY — Several years ago, Joe Reardon and Rick Doane were at a Lions Club meeting, talking about a common problem: food pantries often lack fresh produce.

Doane, who works at Interfaith Social Services in Quincy, said he’s seen it firsthand.

“When we ask our food pantry clients what they want, they all say fresh produce,” he said.

About 50 people came out to the Kennedy Senior Center in Quincy on Friday afternoon to learn about one way they can bring organic fruits and vegetables to their neighbors at food pantries: by donating tomatoes grown in their own homes.

The workshop was the last of four put on by Plant.Share.Grow., an initiative Reardon and Doane created about seven years ago to encourage the community to bring homegrown food to local pantries.

Attendees were given an organic tomato seedling from Holly Hill Farm in Cohasset and a large, white bucket full of soil to plant it in. Jon Belber, who works at Holly Hill, led the program and shared a number of tips for successful tomato gardening.

The idea is simple: Attendees will take the tomato plants home, nourish them throughout the year, and when it’s time to harvest, bring some or all of the fruits to a local food pantry.

“For folks that are used to the canned and boxed products, we want to make organic produce more a part of your daily life — weekly if you come to a pantry,” Belber said.

Interfaith operates a food pantry, thrift shop and mental health counseling center, Doane said. The organization serves about 3,000 households a month across 10 towns on the South Shore. 

As soon as someone brings in a donation to the food pantry, Doane said, it is distributed to Interfaith's clients.

“We have people that will walk in the door with a bag of groceries, a bag of tomatoes, and we’ll hand it right to a client sitting in the lobby,” he said.

Reardon, who ran the event along with Doane, works at Keohane Funeral Home in Quincy, which donated the tomato seedlings. The buckets were donated by Curry Ace Hardware.

Quincy resident Rose Cameron was at the workshop Friday and said she’s been to food pantries during difficult times. She said she looks forward to donating her tomatoes later this year.

“I would take fresh produce over canned or boxed any day,” Cameron said.

Fran Walsh, of Quincy, was also at the event. He has a large garden at home where he grows a variety of produce in buckets, much of which he gives away. He said he’s excited to add the tomatoes to his harvest.

“Between my kids and my friends, I’m going to have enough,” Walsh said. “I think it’s a great idea.”

Shaun Robinson may be reached at srobinson@patriotledger.com.