reposting from Brian Lowe • Chief Innovation Officer, Burlington brian@burlingtonvt.gov

Gardeners, experienced or aspiring, the City is trying to organize & collect 100,000 pounds of fresh local produce for Feeding Chittenden, our local food shelf. Demand for fresh fruits and veggies is high, so your contributions are needed and will help our friends and neighbors.

The effort is called Plant for the People, and later in the season the City will organize collection sites for surplus produce from your backyard or “Victory” garden. Collection times and program details, as well as a registration info, will be available at this link: https://www.burlingtonvt.gov/COVID-19/plant.

This Friday, June 5 from 4 – 6pm, the City will again be distributing seedlings and starters for free at Biben’s Ace Hardware (NNE), 405 Pine St, the Brixton Halal, Mawhui Market, and Nepali Market (North Ave). This is part of a partnership with Red Wagon Plants, which has generously discounted or donated many of the plants. Please come and take one or two to supplement or start your garden.

100,000 pounds of fresh produce is a tall order – but the demand is great and we need your help. An extra bed, or an extra row in your garden can help strengthen our local food system, make our community more resilient, help our fellow residents, and mean more time outdoors enjoying all the physical and mental benefits of gardening. We will be encouraging people to consider a second planting round in August this year – stay tuned for details about more seedling distributions at that time.

Thank you.