1. Where will I be able to grow all of this produce?

Food Matters Chilliwack is currently looking into different avenues for community garden plots for next year. However, this year produce will have to be “homegrown”. 2. I live in an apartment and I have no land of my own to grow produce. Is there any way I can still be involved?

Yes! We are giving away 30 planter boxes, soil and seeds to people with no access to land for growing food this season. For more information on growing food in pots please feel to ask any one of committee members. A lot of information can be found on the internet or through the public library using search words ‘container gardening’. 3. Do I have to bring in all the food I grow from my seed kit?

No, you don’t. We recognize yields will vary from garden to garden and you should enjoy the fruits of your labor too! The purpose of Plant a Row Grow a Row is to help out our local food bank so please give your homegrown produce generously. 4. Can I drop my produce off at the Salvation Army myself?

No. As you can appreciate the number of participants involved in the program, the amount of produce to be dropped off will be significant. Many interruptions would take away from the food bank’s staff and volunteer time for other duties. Please drop them off to us (during the advertised drop off dates) so we can ensure that the produce is clean and we can deliver it to them at a convenient time. Also, we need to weigh the produce and track how much Chilliwack ultimately contributes to the Salvation Army, and report the data to the national Plant a Row Grow a Row campaign. 5. Can I donate other veggies not included in my seed kit and what types of veggie does the Salvation Army want most?

Yes, you can donate other veggies, however the Salvation Army has requested produce good for storage. As you can probably appreciate, 500 pounds of lettuce will not keep long! The Salvation Army prefers long storage life veggies like potatoes, onions, carrots, beets, squash, rutabaga, parsnips, turnips, etc. 6. What are the drop off dates for the Plant a Row - Grow a Row produce?

Saturday, June 25th | Saturday, July 30th | Saturday, August 27th | Saturday, September 24th Drop by between 1pm - 3pm at the Cottonwood Mall Parking Lot (by the Zellers Garden Centre). These will be combined events with the Garden Harvest Swaps. 7. What is a Garden Harvest Swap?

A Garden Harvest Swap is an opportunity for local gardeners to get together and swap their abundance of produce and to fill any gaps of the things they didn’t plant as well as not waste the excess of the produce they did. Any produce left over will be donated to the food bank. At the same time, under a separate tent, we will be accepting donations for the Plant a Row/Grow a Row program, which will not be swapped. 8. My neighbor has an abundance of produce and would like to donate as well - can they still join/donate?

Yes, anyone in Chilliwack can drop off home grown produce on any of the above listed drop off dates. 9. I do not want to grow food - but I am happy to help... is there something I can do?

We could definitely use your help on our drop off dates setting up the tables, washing and weighing produce, and cleaning up the events. Also, we appreciate your help getting the word out around town. If you’d like to put up posters at work or anywhere else, please contact us. 10. Why do I need to register? So we can notify the people who have committed to being involved in this harvest of any changes or further information, etc. This information will not be shared.

Plant a Row • Grow a Row builds on the long-standing tradition of gardeners loving to share their harvest with others. It is a people-helping-people program to assist in feeding the hungry in their own communities.

The program has its roots in many communities in North America. The Grow-A-Row program started in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1986, initiated by Ron and Eunice O’Donovan. That was the year that they produced more potatoes in their backyard garden than their family could consume. They decided to donate the excess to the local food bank, Winnipeg Harvest. Their idea was met with such enthusiasm that the O’Donovan’s decided to encourage their friends and neighbours to also donate their surplus produce. Since then, over 1.4 million pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables have been given to Winnipeg Harvest through the Grow-A-Row program.

This program has been taken up by other Canadian communities such as Edmonton, Alberta, London, Ontario as well as regions in Quebec such as the Laurentians and the Rigaud, Hudson, St. Lazare and Dorion area. Edmonton’s program is spearheaded by the Edmonton Horticultural Society with the support of local businesses. London’s program is under the leadership of London Composts!, a local partnership of businesses, government and non-profit organizations dedicated to raising awareness of the value of composting and compost. In Quebec, the campaign is called Un rang pour ceux qui ont faim and was initiated by La Presse, the television program Fleurs et Jardins, and the Quebec Food Bank Federation.

Plant a Row for the Hungry was developed by the Garden Writers Association of America and launched in the United States in 1995. Supported by their members in their own communities, this innovative public service campaign encourages gardeners to grow a little extra and donate the produce to local soup kitchens and food banks.

Plant a Row • Grow a Row combines the strength of all of the above initiatives. Through the experience of these communities and their sharing of existing information and communication resources, it is hoped that other places across Canada will establish a Plant a Row • Grow a Row campaign in their own Community.

Other communities will be encouraged to start their own campaigns, supported through the Plant a Row • Grow a Row website and the program’s toll-free helpline: 1-877-571-GROW(4769). http://www.growarow.org/about.htm

Helpful FREE down loadable PDF's:

Grow Your Own Veggie Garden Guide: http://www.growarow.org/pdf/Pargar_Workbook_Final.pdf

Basic Gardening Terms: http://www.skh.com/annuals2/basicgardening_terms.pdf

Organic Gardening: http://www.seattle.gov/neighborhoods/ppatch/pubs/organic101.pdf

West Coast Seeds Winter Planting Guide: http://www.westcoastseeds.com/admin/files/2011_winter_brochure.pdf

Backyard Composting: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/feature/backyard/pdf/compost.pdf