Some Food for Thought

I lost sleep the last two nights because of what happened Wednesday. My younger daughter and I swung by the food pantry at St. Pat's on North Peachtree Road to drop off what will probably be the last two family-sized salads of the year from the Dunwoody Community Garden at Brook Run. Instead of the usual 80 families that are served each week, there were expected to be 200 families that day. The parking lot was mobbed. Chairs wrapped around the church. Extended families stood and sat patiently. And we walked in with our measly two salads. I felt horribly inadequate, as if I not only could do more, but am actually being driven to, for reasons I don't yet know.

Listen, food insecurity is increasing, and is expected to continue. There is a way out, and that's by planting today for tomorrow. We've already started, and it's working, and it's fun. During this holiday season, give some thought to getting involved in the new year. I promise you you won't regret it. Ask Bob. Ask Angela. Ask Rebecca. Ask Page. Ask Don. Ask Van and Sally. Ask Ashley. Ask Caryn. Ask Rick. Ask John. Ask Robert. And then ask yourself, why not?

Here is my work-in-progress about what we can do:

Dunwoody Community Garden at Brook Run: Food Pantry Initiative Proposed Five-Year Plan

The Dunwoody Community Garden at Brook Run is committed to social justice and has determined that 20% of the garden produce will be donated to those in need through Malachi’s Storehouse Food Pantry at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church directly across the street from the park on North Peachtree Road. Currently, the food pantry serves about 80 families per week (and up to 200 families at holiday time). That number has been trending upward, and is predicted to continue to do so.

Start-Up Costs for Food Pantry Initiative

Total costs to pay for sponsorship of six plots, the building of six beds, organic planting mix, fish emulsion, garlic and strawberry set-up, row covers, and other supplies comes to $1, 386.

Food Pantry Donations to Date

Between October 1 and December 1, we have donated 22 8-ounce salads (value=$4 each), with dressing (value=$3 each), for a food value of $154. Currently, we donate to approximately 3% of the families in need.

Annual Costs*=$600 (to be provided by sponsors).

Fertilizer and other soil amendments: $100 x 3 seasons=$300

Annual sponsorship of 6 beds: 6 beds x $50=$300

*All seeds and transplants will be donated, our own compost will be used as much as possible, and new food pantry bed building materials, soil, amendments, and plants/seeds in the demonstration area will be donated. The 5 pine beds will be converted to cedar as donations.

Food Pantry Initiative Goals

End of Year 1 (August 22, 2010): To donate a food value of at least $1,386 to the food pantry, to equal start-up costs for the food pantry initiative

End of Year 2 (August 22, 2011): To donate to 20% of the families in need each week

End of Year 3 (August 22, 2012): To donate to 30% of the families in need each week

End of Year 4 (August 22, 2013): To donate to 40% of the families in need each week

End of Year 5 (August 22, 2014): To donate to 50% of the families in need each week

Strategy to Meet These Goals

In order to meet these aggressive food donation goals, I propose a concentrated plan of education, encouragement, and expansion. Tactical suggestions include:

• Maximize production of food pantry beds by using best practices from other gardens.

• Encourage food pantry donations from beds sponsored by service groups by providing education to maximize yields.

• Encourage donations from individually-tended beds by providing education to maximize yields.

• Add at least six demonstration beds that provide food to the food pantry.

• Develop Phase 2 to the community garden and dedicate two long rows to Plant a Row for the Hungry (food pantry donations).

• Encourage expansion of the Dunwoody Community Garden to include individual home-based plots from which these “garden members” are encouraged to donate to the food pantry.

• Advocate to alter the Adopt-a-Spot guidelines to encourage the growing of organic herbs that can then be donated to the food pantry.

• Encourage expansion of the Dunwoody Community Garden network to include community gardens on key sites in Dunwoody including Peachtree Charter Middle School, church property, the JCC, and under the power lines, from which food is donated to the food pantry.

Just give it some thought, okay?