Gardeners urged to share bounty with less fortunate

There's always more food growing in the garden than Ron Ory can eat, freeze or share with relatives.

"Once my freezer is full, I've got a ton left over," the Naperville man said.

For several years, he's packed up the extra tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, onions and turnips and delivered them to Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry near downtown Naperville.

The agency, though nestled in an affluent area, provides assistance to more than 500 families on a monthly basis.

And the more than 15,000 pounds in fresh produce that is donated annually to Loaves and Fishes through the Giving Garden program, and previously through Plant a Row for the Hungry, is essential, said Joanne Mitrenga, the agency's executive director.

Individual resident contributions, like those made by Ory, are key, but the vast majority of the produce comes from Mayneland Farm, which takes any surplus it has to the food pantry. Yet, the farm is slated for development and it won't be continuing its voluminous donations next year.

That concerns Mitrenga. She knows the food helps tide the agency over during the lean summer months when donations drop.

Ory said it's time more gardeners stepped up to the proverbial plate and helped out those in need.

There are 750 plots in the Naperville Community Garden, about two-thirds of which are rented, said Ory, a park district commissioner. That's a lot of vegetables that could find their way to the pantry if the gardeners just made the time to take any surplus there.

The Giving Garden program, which encourages gardeners to grow a little extra and donate any surplus to area food pantries and soup kitchens, runs through Oct. 1. In other words, it generally coincides with the growing season.

Ory said he gave away his surplus for years to family members, but those were the days before he knew the food pantry would take the perishable vegetables.

"I used to give it to relatives. I didn't let a whole lot go to waste," Ory said. "At the food pantry, it goes to folks who need it a little more than my friends and relatives."