In years past I would give away buckets of tomatoes to my wives friends and a few neighbors. But this year I've changed things up. Every couple days I bring in tomatoes to a dozen doctors/nurses I know at Brook Army Medical Center. I figure not enough patients acknowledge how hard these people work. And besides, maybe some of these people will decide they need to they need to start their own garden next year. We could always use more gardeners.


I understand food banks won't accept fresh produce. Besides neighbors, where else do people here give away their excess production?

It probably depends on the food bank as to whether or not they take produce. One of the food banks near me goes around the farmers market right before closing and asks for food donations from the vendors. I guess each one probably sets their own rules.

i took some of my uncle steve/grandma gina cross beans to the dentist during an appointment.
the staff were munching on them, and were pretty happy about it.
church, would be another opportunity. they may know people who would be in need of fresh produce.
if your community has a senior citizen center or community center that people meet at.
farmers market, if you want to sell some produce or a local food co-op. the one near me buys local produce.


keith

rxkeith wrote: ↑Tue Jun 11, 2024 10:04 pm i took some of my uncle steve/grandma gina cross beans to the dentist during an appointment.
the staff were munching on them, and were pretty happy about it.
church, would be another opportunity. they may know people who would be in need of fresh produce.
if your community has a senior citizen center or community center that people meet at.
farmers market, if you want to sell some produce or a local food co-op. the one near me buys local produce.


keith

Now that I think about it, there is an assisted living center not too far away. Thanks for the tip.

I use my gardens to eat for the year and to be able to share good food with good people. If I could grow coffee, milk, eggs, sugar, and flour I would be set. So I don't have much to give away to strangers. I do share plenty with people I know - if they show interest. In the past I would offer stuff willy nilly, and I know a lot got wasted and wasn't really appreciated. Some people eat Dominoes pizza; they generally don't appreciate fresh produce.

Kind of burned me up the other day, someone had the gall to ask what I did with all the food (that I put hours a day into this time of year and many years making highly efficient bio intensive rows) and BY THE WAY mentioned how they started a food bank for their section 8 neighborhood. They have 1-1/2 plots sitting there unused at the comm garden, but they want the stuff from my rows. They hadn't done a thing all season, the entire spring went by and we had to mow it to keep weed seeds down. So I asked and they said they were going to work on it in a few days. The week before Memorial Day. So I offered to get it ready, then put at least 2 hours into prepping the entire plot for them. Rototilled, hilled, and ready to go. That was three weeks back. About 50 foot total of perfect double row - could grow ANYTHING in it. Now it is growing grass. Still unused. Fool me twice shame on me. But they want me to donate food to their food bank.

Mentioned this while we're staring at the bare dirt growing grass, next to my plot green and lush.

And previous to that, the hour previous, maybe two hours, this person was standing in the parking lot talking, and talking and talking, while I was working.

And last year, I made that plot from scratch for them. They watched me trying to rotohill super hard dry lawn. Didn't help, but laughed and took video with their phones when the rototiller would shoot forward. Watched for about 20 minutes then went home, that is. They came back a few times, then let it all go to weeds by July. And I was stupid enough to offer to get it ready, again, because I want them to participate. To be able to grow things for themselves. But apparently they just want the finished product, picked and delivered to their food bank, so they can take credit for making something happen.

I don't go to the garden to think about things like this. This was a week ago and I'm still mad.

You can be sure everyone of those poor people that "need food" have a vehicle newer than my 01 chevy, a much bigger tv (or three), and a $400 phone. Besides govt help with rent and food. No, I don't think they need my food, unless they want to buy it.

I will gladly share with people and help people and teach people willing to put in the work, but I know the kind of people that are aren't embarrassed to accept handouts while driving a black Escalade, while buying thick expensive steaks and wings with EBT bucks, and eating out all the time.

I know one lady (and husband) in assisted living. She said not to bother bringing food for the kitchen to cook. It will really depend on the actual head cook. Her first couple years there, the head cook was pretty good and would cook a lot of dishes from scratch. So in that case, fresh produce would get used. But the person they have now (as of last summer) is just like a by the box cook and won't do anything creative. I'll take stuff ready to eat for her, but nothing that needs to be prepared.

@Wildcat82 I bet the doctors and nurses really appreciate that! I know my doctor and nurse friends don't eat a lot of veggies when they're on long hospital shifts.

Our community garden donates produce to a cooking class that's aimed at showing underserved folks how to cook affordable, healthy meals.

We also have a series of Free Fridges around town. They're refrigerators in front of bus stops, restaurant exteriors, etc that are accessible 24/7. You can leave produce in them or packaged meals (eg your office orders too many boxed lunches). We'll often make things like salad kits. www.atxfreefridge.com. You can find them near you by searching for "mini pantry" or "free fridge" or through your town's mutual aid group.

I am donating my excess tomato harvest to a local restaurant after being turned down by area food banks. Since I work full time I have to be able to drop off in about a 15-20 minute window or it doesn’t fit into the day. I’ll have to see what clinics are within range.

The last time I was around a food bank it was the business next to it.
I got surrounded by a bunch of able bodied young men trying to bum cigarettes and money.
I wouldn't give them any and they started cussing me out and calling me a white POS.

I donate my excess tomato and hot pepper produce to a family run Mexican restaurant that we frequent.

pondgardener wrote: ↑Wed Jun 12, 2024 7:19 am I donate my excess tomato and hot pepper produce to a family run Mexican restaurant that we frequent.

I would too.

jrin pa,

don't be mad. you help those that you think would benefit. if they aren't willing to
put in further work, you move on to others that are need of a hand up, not a hand out.
its like the parable of the sower. the majority of the time, you will have failure, but,
when you have success, oh, how wonderful it is. you live and learn, and move on. put
the failure behind you. its not your fault. its theirs. be willing, still to help others willing
to put in the work. its good that you tried.


keith

pondgardener wrote: ↑Wed Jun 12, 2024 7:19 am I donate my excess tomato and hot pepper produce to a family run Mexican restaurant that we frequent.

A Mexican grocery/restaurant, that opened in the town where I live about 9 or 10 years ago, gets my extra peppers, and Oaxacan epazote - things I don't know anyone else that could use! The first time I took him something was when I trimmed some of the overgrown red epazote from just 2 plants outside, and filled up one of those plastic bags, all the stores used before they outlawed them, so there were a few loosely packed gallons of leaves. I took it over there, and saw the owner in the back, and went up to him and told him that I had a present for him. He got a sort of perplexed look on his face, since this was the first time I had taken anything to him, and I handed him the bag, and told him to smell it, before he looks at it, "and you'll know what it is." And he closed his eyes, and opened the bag and held it up and smelled it, and his eyes popped opened, with a totally surprised look on his face, and he looked into the bag, and said "where you get this?!" I told him I grew it, and it is the best epazote, and before I could finish he said "I know! I know!" And he told me that even where he came from in Mexico, you couldn't get that kind all the time, and he kept holding the bag up and smelling it - like I do with basil and rosemary. Funny how some people love epazote, but most - sort of like cilantro, in that respect, though none of my friends haven't liked the dishes I put it in.

I've also given him excess peppers - mostly the habanero types, but a couple of times the Aji Dulce, which is the habanero that I grow that has almost no heat, but incredibly good habanero flavor. I get 50 or 60 ripening at once, on just one plant, and I took those in, and told him what they were, and he loved getting those - another thing not really available around here. He gives me deals on my purchases, and tells me when they get certain things in, like those tortillas, made with the fresh masa, instead of masa harina.

Everyone in the neighborhood robbed my pepper patch in Angleton Texas.
I set scissors out so they wouldn't tear up the plants.
I had about 50 or more of the darn things.
But it wasn't all take and no give.
We were invited to all the neighborhood BBQs.

worth1 wrote: ↑Wed Jun 12, 2024 7:03 am The last time I was around a food bank it was the business next to it.
I got surrounded by a bunch of able bodied young men trying to bum cigarettes and money.
I wouldn't give them any and they started cussing me out and calling me a white POS.

They were envious of someone gainfully employed doing some useful work.

GVGardens wrote: ↑Wed Jun 12, 2024 12:35 am @Wildcat82 I bet the doctors and nurses really appreciate that! I know my doctor and nurse friends don't eat a lot of veggies when they're on long hospital shifts.

Our community garden donates produce to a cooking class that's aimed at showing underserved folks how to cook affordable, healthy meals.

We also have a series of Free Fridges around town. They're refrigerators in front of bus stops, restaurant exteriors, etc that are accessible 24/7. You can leave produce in them or packaged meals (eg your office orders too many boxed lunches). We'll often make things like salad kits. www.atxfreefridge.com. You can find them near you by searching for "mini pantry" or "free fridge" or through your town's mutual aid group.

That's pretty neat Austin does that. I know Austin also had (has?) a program to cut a rebate check to anybody who wants to raise backyard chickens to defray the cost of buying a chicken coop. Wish more cities would actively encourage people to raise their own food.

https://www.fox7austin.com/news/city-of ... en-raising

Rest assured some Karen (male or female) neighbor will complain.
It happened when people were putting gardens in the front yard.
My neighbors chickens come out of the roost in the morning and run all over the place collecting bugs.

not limited to just produce.
One woman took honeysuckle.

Mom’s Mah Jong group soaks up a significant amount of my surplus tomato harvest. Average age of the group is probably 80, but their affinity for garden tomatoes is a 100. Wife’s various coworkers are the second or third biggest produce takers, especially cucumbers. The grown children and their spouses get their share. I now have a few folks that I can call and reliably get a yes answer to the question “you want some ____ from the garden. My “customer” base skews way towards the senior and geriatric community. Wife’s friend was over the other day and mentioned how sad her 92 year old dad was because he could no longer garden. “Here, take him some tomatoes and peppers”. I heard he was thrilled to get some garden produce. My daughter works for an oral surgeon in town and that office got a pile of tomatoes last season.

What do I get in return? Smiles, thanks, compliments on the produce, “those tomatoes were great!” and once in a while a carton or two of fresh free range eggs as some of my customers are chicken ranchers.

I don’t screen for need basis, if they want some, that’s fine with me.

I don’t ever want to market or charge anything for my produce. I figure that would ruin the experience for me. Donations, gifts of produce to whomever are great so long as there is zero chance that anything negative will circle back to me.

Our little local library has a glass fronted refrigerator, and it receives donations weekly from the regional food pantry which are delivered by volunteers. In addition, many people share the surplus from their gardens...tomatoes, beans, kale or whatever is in season. I dropped off a couple dozen tomato plants this spring...they disappeared within a day!