Garden & Gleaning Programs
HHFB's Garden & Gleaning programs provide locally grown, fresh fruits and vegetables for free distribution to those in need of emergency food assistance in our area. Volunteers and community supporters are the most important asset our programs have; the more volunteers, the more fresh food we raise and rescue.
Volunteers are needed most during the main growing season, April through October. No gardening experience is necessary.
Volunteering in our garden or gleaning excess produce on area farms allows you to play an important part in obtaining thousands of pounds of nutritious and delicious food for our neighbors in need here in South Central Indiana.
Download the Garden & Gleaning Programs brochure (3.12MB).
Garden Program
Our two-acre garden is a donation from Strangers Hill Organics. Volunteers participate in all aspects of this organic, sustainable-practice-oriented garden.
Our Garden Program was born out of a continuing effort to increase the amount and nutritional quality of food provided to area food pantries and soup kitchens. To meet a rapidly growing need for emergency food assistance, we have had to consider new ways to obtain food. Growing our own allows us to bring in varieties of fresh fruits and vegetables most needed at the food bank.
In 2010, we developed a partnership with the Monroe County Parks and Recreation Department which will eventually result in a new two-and-a-half-acre garden site less than a mile from the food bank's main operations. We also battled a drought but still grew thousands of pounds of organic vegetables, increased the diversity of our production, and improved our gardens infrastructure.
Volunteering in our garden is a wonderful way to learn from and share with other volunteers and our Garden Coordinator about sustainable growing. We use organic practices such as crop rotation, cover cropping, and making our own compost out of food the food bank can no longer distribute. In 2010, 246 volunteers donated 736 hours to increase community-wide access to fresh, nutritious foods.
- Training and support are provided to volunteers during each volunteer session.
- Please dress for a possible mess, wear sturdy shoes, bring drinking water in refillable containers, sunscreen, hats, gloves if you wish to wear them, and anything else you need to take care of yourself outside.
- Our garden is a small part of a larger, functioning farm. Gleaning takes place on several area farms. There are many classic farm elements including unleashed dogs, cats, and insects.
- An assortment of tools is provided, but if you have your favorites, feel free to bring them along.
Gleaning Program
Hoosier Hills Food Bank partners with local farmers and depends on volunteers to harvest excess produce. In turn, we have more fresh, local, and nutritious produce to distribute to our 95 member agencies. In three years of gleaning we've partnered with four different area farms and over 60 volunteers to harvest over 44,000 pounds of fresh, local fruits and vegetables!
Volunteers travel to local farms and harvest excess fruits and vegetables from the fields.
Why we glean
- 20% of all produce grown in commercial agriculture is lost because it is aesthetically not fit to sell.
- Perfectly edible fruits and vegetables are left in the fields to rot.
- This is significant in Indiana where 303,440 households are food-insecure.
Testimonials
"I had a great time! It's refreshing to work outside with fun people after sitting behind a boring desk all day."
"It's always good work, physically and spiritually...The beautiful drive out there and the location are two reasons why I go!"
"The work is definitely appealing. As an aspiring gardener who will be living in an apartment where tenants are not allowed to grow and cultivate outdoor plants, I am grateful for the opportunity to work in a small-scale vegetable garden. Planting, transplanting, weeding, hoeing, mulching, harvesting; I find it all quite fulfilling. And when I know that the resulting harvest is going to a food bank, that it allows fellow Hoosiers to have delicious, fresh, nutritious vegetables, I find the work- whatever the day's task may be- all the more gratifying. I thank you all for starting such a wonderful project."
Volunteer Calendar
See the Garden & Gleaning calendar for upcoming volunteer opportunities.
Driving Directions
The HHFB Garden is located at 7480 W. Howard Rd. Note: Parking is limited. Carpooling is appreciated.
Vernal Pike will be closed for construction between Woodyard Rd. and Curry Pike from mid June 2010 through the summer of 2011.
View Larger Map
Mailing List
Subscribe to our low-traffic email list and receive updates on HHFB Garden & Gleaning volunteer opportunities and updates. To do so, send an email to garden@hhfoodbank.org and in the subject line write: "Subscribe G&G e-mail list."
Wish List
In addition to donating your time as a volunteer, HHFB Garden & Gleaning Programs can use your support in obtaining other things we need. Our current needs are compiled in an Amazon wish list.
Note: We in no way endorse any of these sellers, nor are we guaranteeing that these are the best prices, this Amazon list is simply an efficient way to share information about the products we could really use. Many of these items may even be available from a local retailer.
Contact
For more information contact the Garden & Gleaning Programs Cooridinator at garden@hhfoodbank.org or (812) 334-8374.
