Fresh produce can go a long way to help food-insecure individuals. You can start your own garden and donate what you don’t use.
Writer: Karla Walsh
Sweet Tooth Farm’s Monika Owczarski grows produce on her chemical-free urban plot in Des Moines to sell on a sliding scale at her farm stand, to package up in affordable seasonal vegetable boxes, and to stock the Sweet Tooth Community Fridge she launched in 2020. (Think of this fridge like a little free library: Leave what you can, take what you need—no questions asked.)
If you’re a gardener, or even if you simply have a few container gardens on a patio or balcony, you can follow Owczarski’s lead and plant some extra to share with any organization that accepts fresh food. A variety of volunteer-led groups harvest fresh produce to share with the community. Find one near you by visiting your city’s website.
Iowa Stops Hunger is an ongoing Business Publications Corp. initiative to raise awareness of food insecurity and inspire action to combat it.
