Plant an extra row for your community

I love growing my own food. I don't particularly care for working in the heat, weeding or dealing with bugs. But in the end, I have food for my family that didn't come from a supermarket, wasn't picked prematurely and then ripened with chemicals, didn't travel thousands of miles wasting gas, and definitely wasn't grown without ethics and sustainability in mind.

There's a tremendous amount of pride and satisfaction I feel when I serve up spaghetti knowing that I made that marinara entirely from my garden.  I know exactly how healthy it is. I know for sure that it's healthier than the stuff you buy in the store because I tend to sneak extra veggies into the sauce (like pureed sweet potatoes and carrots)!  When I see my children gobbling up homemade pizza with my sauce and sliced basil from my garden, I get so tickled!  I love opening a jar of green beans knowing that I planted those seeds, watched the plants grow, picked the harvest and then canned them.  Pride and satisfaction... definitely the strongest emotions I feel when I feed my family from my garden.

I'm also a firm believer in helping others less fortunate than you.  There have been plenty of times that I've been on the receiving end of the kindness of others. And even when it's not been easy, I do my best to reach out to others and help them.  This summer, I plan to donate some of the garden to AmpleHarvest.org.  I have a plethora of seeds started so why not designate a portion of those plants to help others in need?

As you plan out your garden this spring, plant an extra row or two or five with your community in mind.  Check out the Ample Harvest website and find a donation location near you.  It feels good to know you're providing your own family with healthy food. How much more amazing will it feel to help others with that same bounty.

My name is Sharon and I'm a liberal hearted, wanna-be hippy.  But you can be as conservative as you want in your politics and still liberally share with your community.

"Although times are tough, you can still help your community by reaching into your backyard instead of your back pocket."