Join the Plant a Row Campaign – So an upcoming seed swap and some sunshine has set me into a panic for my garden planning. One thing I am certain about: I will plan an extra row in my garden this year. Plant a Row for the Hungry is rooted in the gardeners’ tradition of sharing bountiful harvests with others. The plan is simple—all you need to do is plant an additional row in your garden and deliver the harvest to a food bank near you.

This idea has really come of age in these uncertain times, with many more families struggling to eat combined with budget cuts for local food banks. No matter how little space you have to plant an additional row of vegetables for giving, you can make a great contribution! If you regularly plant too much, never will you have too many tomatoes or squash. Too often food banks are limited to the amount of produce that can be offered to its clients; imagine the joy of giving fresh, local fruits and vegetables.

The average harvest from a typical packet of seeds of a light vegetable, such as snap beans, weighs about 20 pounds. Dense vegetables, such as carrots, produce about 100 pounds. The average large, solid tomato weighs a pound or so. Two or three medium apples and citrus weigh a pound. If you have space, plant a row of: Tomatoes, Sweet potatoes, Garlic, Summer squash, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Winter squash, Beets, Potatoes, Carrots, Sweet peppers, Onions, Green beans, Peas, Asparagus, Eggplant, Cabbage, Greens, Lettuce, Zucchini, Kale, Okra.