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How to share your extra garden produce

Nothing beats the taste of those first few harvests from the garden. The flavor and freshness, combined with the pride of knowing you grew it yourself, just can’t be beat. Once the newness wears off, the freezer fills, and the excitement of processing our garden goodies turns into a real chore though, we might find ourselves with an excess of wonderful food and no energy to deal with it.

Melons and lemon cucumbers harvested from CCE for donation
Melons and lemon cucumbers harvested from CCE for donation

When you find yourself with an overabundance, you can share it with the people in our community who love delicious, fresh food but have no means of growing their own. Here are some suggestions for connecting with them

The local organization GardenShare has created a comprehensive interactive map where you can easily search for food pantries and community meals in your area. Locations and details are listed online here.

screenshot of local food guide map from GardenShare
Sample of GardenShare’s interactive map results

United Helpers many subsidized housing units throughout the county, and their house managers would be glad to talk to you about donating to the residents. Recovery and Safe Houses also welcome donations and reaching out to their respective directors would help you understand what they need most, or what they could consume.

There are many food donation options in every community here in the North Country. In my experience, these organizations and the people they serve are always grateful for fresh, nutritious food, even if you only have enough for one family. Free will dinners sometimes provide “take home food” when they have extras, and your produce could be part of that offering. If we all share just a portion of our harvests, the impact will be staggering. Read more How to share your extra garden produce

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Farm to Table Podcast

Students from the class, Seeding Hope, taught by Rebecca Rivers at St. Lawrence University had a unique assignment last fall. Their course goals included, “shining a spotlight on existing projects that successfully unite diverse groups of people in grassroots efforts to protect and restore natural resources. We will focus on what we can learn from them about protecting the environment, sustaining human communities and increasing social justice.”

Three first-year students, Lydia Fedorowich, Sergey Avery, and Enith Alejandra Altamirano Salazar took on the task of identifying nearby organizations that play an active role in the north country food system. Their assignment was to create a podcast episode that included interviews with area people engaged in agriculture and food at the local level.

Click on the bar below to hear this episode. The guests include:

  • Extension Educator Flip Filippi,  Local Food Program Leader
  • Will Trithart Owner and Chef at Big Spoon Kitchen
  • Andy Peet, the General Manager of the Potsdam Food Co-op

Lauren grew up in neighboring Vermont exploring and loving the green mountains and vast landscapes. Her undergraduate degree made her appreciate the communities that surround local foods and a Master’s Certificate in Food Studies from the University of Southern Maine made her want to pursue a career in the food system. In 2021 and 2022, she was the Local Foods Marketing and Development Educator for Cornell Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County.