ROCKFORD, Ill. — Do you tend to plant more vegetables in your garden than you can eat? Consider donating your extra produce to the Plant a Row (PAR) for the Hungry efforts this summer to help end hunger in our community. PAR provides a much needed outlet for vegetable gardeners to donate their over-abundance of produce, which helps to meet the increasing demands on local food pantries. This is a cooperative program in Winnebago County between University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners and local gardeners. All fresh produce brought in by local gardeners is donated to local food pantries. Last year, nearly 22,000 pounds of fresh produce was donated to pantries in Winnebago County.
Join us for the Plant a Row for the Hungry kick off at the Edgebrook Shopping Center Farmers Market at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, July 18, 2018. The market is located at the corner of Alpine and Highcrest Roads. This is just one of eight locations where home gardeners can drop off their surplus garden produce, including fruits and vegetables, to be donated to local food pantries.
Year Round drop-off sites include:
University of Illinois Extension 1040 N. 2nd St, Mon-Fri., 9:00-12:00pm
Rock River Valley Pantry 421 S. Rockton St, Mon-Fri., 8:00-3:00pm
Winnebago-Boone Farm Bureau 1925 S. Meridian Rd, Mon-Fri., 8:30-4:00pm
July – September drop-off sites include:
Durand Town Square Northeast corner of Durand Town Square — Mondays, 10:00am-noon
Cherry Valley Public Library 755 E. State St., Cherry Valley — Tuesdays, 3:30-5:30pm
Edgebrook Farmers Market Edgebrook Shopping Center, Rockford — Wednesdays, 10:00am-noon
Talcott Free Library 101 E. Main St., Rockton — Wednesdays, 3:30-5:30pm
The Landscape Connection 4472 S. Mulford Rd., Rockford — Monday-Saturday, 9:00am-6:00pm, Sundays, 11:00am-3:00pm
If you have any questions about Plant a Row for the Hungry, contact University of Illinois Extension – Winnebago County at (815) 986-4357 or visit our website at http://web.extension.illinois.edu/jsw.
— University of Illinois Extension
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