Backyard Harvest started in 2005 and turned selfish-gardening into futuristic-gardening. The basic idea for Backyard Harvest has existed before Thanksgiving. Amy Grey founded Backyard Harvest because she had excess lettuce in her garden, 200 heads to be exact. It’s quite humorous to know her non-profit organization was inspired by her two boys. She collects fruits and vegetables from people who signed up to donate them, and distributes it to the less fortunate. Just like Wikipedia where anyone can input their ideas to shape the site; Backyard Harvest requires volunteers who prefer to shape their community.
Local food banks in Spokane and elsewhere in the U.S. are in need of your fruits and vegetables because unlike processed foods, they have a shorter shelf life. A tip: it is OK to buy fruits and vegetables from the store and pretend they are from your farm.
Here is a short blurb about Backyard Harvest from their website: “Since 2006, Backyard Harvest has collected over 65,000 lbs of fruits & vegetables mostly grown in small patches and on forgotten trees in backyards across the region…”
There are chapters located in Moscow, ID, Santa Barbara CA, Paso Robles, CA, and Minneapolis, MN. For those in Spokane, WA who are reading this Moscow, ID is ten minutes away from Pullman, WA and only eighty-four miles away from Spokane. Not to mention they have an easy chapter creation plan that would be far easier than driving to Moscow, ID to donate.
Backyard Harvest is not the only way to donate your time and energy toward something that improves the environment and community. Garry Middle School has an after-school gardening club that partners with the Campus Kitchens Project at Gonzaga University (CKGU). Together they form a seed that blossoms each spring. The kids benefit from gardening and science experience and the college students earn leadership experience.
To learn more, click on Backyard Harvest or Garry Middle School gardening program.
