Adverse conditions don't deter Plant a Row gardeners

Forget the best of times: Most summer vegetable gardens in the area went through the worst of times.

A cold, rainy spring deterred many gardeners. When folks finally did get seedlings into the ground, there was a marked absence of heat - something generally considered important for plant growth.

And then there was the rain, or, rather, a general lack of moisture in the latter part of the summer.

For a while there, it looked like our 2004 goal of providing 65,000 pounds of fresh produce through Plant a Row for the Hungry was a lofty - and unattainable - goal.

Once again, area gardeners proved no hurdle is insurmountable when it comes to helping neighbors in need.

The final total this year for Plant a Row for the Hungry is 70,428 - more than 10,000 pounds beyond what gardeners grew and donated last summer to area food pantries.

York Township in Lombard received twice as much food this year as in 2004, with gardeners delivering 1,269 pounds over the summer.

Clients who received two bags of nonperishable food were able to take with them one full additional bag of fresh produce, explained Diane Arturi, director of general assistance.

"If they've got a family of five, they can take 10 and 12 ears of corn," Arturi said.

And that's a big deal to families having difficulty putting food on the table, particularly nutritious food. Clients get pretty enthusiastic when they see the available tomatoes, corn, peppers and other items.

"We don't normally have fresh produce," Arturi said.

Providing that produce is the whole point of the campaign that encourages gardeners to grow and deliver fresh produce to area food pantries and soup kitchens. The national campaign was started by the Garden Writers Association and is sponsored locally by the Daily Herald.

In the five years of the program's existence, gardeners in five suburban counties have donated a cumulative 230,709 pounds of fresh produce. Each pound of food is estimated to provide three servings, which means that local residents have delivered 692,127 servings of fresh food to area residents in need.

It seems the program has taken root.