In May, when we were planting the gardens, we decided to grow a little more of everything and see how difficult it would be to give away some of the "extras". Our main vegetable garden is roughly 1000 square feet with a few other areas where vine crops have a spot of open soil but their vines ramble over the lawns. We'd started a dozen tomato plants indoors plus some peppers and brassicas. We'd also given a few cantaloupe, cucumber and muskmelon plants a head start in the VegPod. So, mid-May we planted maybe 25% more of beans, beets, spinach, carrots, etc. There were two cucumber plants and 3 or 4 Guatemalan squash too. A variety.
In late July, we approached FareShare Food Bank in Cobourg, asking if they would take fresh vegetables? Their website does not mention fresh vegetables, so we were wondering if they would accept them? We found out what day they would accept donations (Wednesday) and what time (before 9 a.m.) and brought over some green beans, spinach and the first few tomatoes of the season. An interesting idea was going through my mind at that time, and I thought I would test it this summer. The idea is to "give your firstfruits". It's an ancient (Greek, Roman, Hebrew) idea.
"The offering of firstfruits was likewise an expression of faith that something else—the harvest of the rest of the crop—would come later."
"The Hebrew word for first fruit is bikkurim—literally translated to “promise to come.” The Israelites saw these first fruits as an investment into their future."
So, each week I got up early on Wednesday mornings and harvested the first fruits of everything. Some weeks, there was a huge bounty, like when the tomatoes all ripened in August. That week just the tomatoes weighed 150 lbs.! That week, Ted helped and was on his knees picking a small tote of cherry tomatoes.
Somewhere along the way, another thought came to me. And, I think it's true - thoughts come to you. "How about seeing if they'd like some flowers? Food for the soul?" That week (probably early August) I put together 5 bunches of flowers. I'd already been tucking in 5 or 6 bunches of herbs (basil, thyme, chives, sage, oregano, and dill) and the herb thought had led to the flower thought. The following week, when Ted delivered the vegetables to FareShare, he asked if the flower bunches went? It's not too often I see Ted cry. When he told me their response, there were tears in his eyes. A client was having a hard day, everything was going wrong and on top of that it was her birthday. When volunteers handed her a bouquet of flowers she cried saying, "I've never been given flowers."
Throughout the rest of the summer and fall, the best of what we've grown has made its way to the food bank. We keep the wonky looking carrots with 3 legs, the not-so-pretty lettuces and the tomatoes with spots. We know how to process them for ourselves.
The weeks where we achieved heavy weights (the food bank volunteers weigh in all donations) were the ones where specific crops had matured. One Wednesday, we had 16 English cucumbers and the dozen Guatemalan squash (below) went the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Melon week was heavy too.
As we got to know the food bank volunteers we started to question them about which vegetables were needed? liked? preferred? We wanted to plan next year's garden so that they get the most bang for our buck. The first lady said, "We are so thankful to get fresh vegetables that it does not matter what you bring." We thought that that could not possibly be true, so the next week, Ted asked another volunteer the same question.
Same answer.
Firstfruits of our wildflower and pollinator plants went into the bouquets in September. I'd made a challenge to myself to increase the bunches by one each week. I got up to 10 bunches in September.
These Wednesdays, I need to wait for the morning light to pick what's left. This morning, it was drizzling rain and so cool that I wore mittens when harvesting. There were still carrots, spinach, kale, a pumpkin and flowers! The bouquets were assembled indoors to save my fingers.
It was still drizzling when I arrived at FareShare this morning. I went inside with the first box and a volunteer met me and insisted on walking back to the car with me. Along the way she went on and on about how much the flowers have been appreciated by their clients. I handed her the second box, got in the car and left the parking lot. Leaving, I turned to look at the other door of FareShare. Sure enough, there were half a dozen folks, some in wheelchairs, waiting patiently in the drizzling rain to get a bit of food. Half an hour before it opens.
Another thought has arrived in my brain: "Blog about how easy it is to share your excess vegetables .... and flowers ..... with our neighbours". We struggled with talking about our little experiment because we are not looking for a pat on the back. But, I imagine that there are gardeners in Northumberland who occasionally have excess to share and just don't know how. It's really easy!
Here are the details:
FareShare food bank location: D'Arcy Street to the south roundabout and go east to the first driveway going left (north) That leads to the back parking lot of FareShare. You step on to the loading dock and enter that door and find a volunteer.
Donation Time: Wednesday, 8:30-9:30 a.m.
Boxes: good idea to collect cardboard boxes so volunteers don't need to transfer the goods at a busy time.
Oh, and our freezers? They are full.
“What draws people to be friends is that they see the same truth.
They share it.”
C. S. Lewis
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