ABG Visits the Alameda Food Bank

The Alameda Food Bank was founded in 1977 by concerned residents of Alameda and remains today a private organization. 50% of their funding comes from the residents of Alameda and the other 50% from various grant sources. Last year, our Food Bank served 5,000 individuals representing 1 in 14 Alamedans. The dedicated staff of two Paul Russell the Executive Director and Samantha Kahn the Program Coordinator manage over 65 volunteers to ensure that food is available to those in need.

Sam told us that the Alameda Food Bank is blessed by hugely generous donations from Trader Joe’s and Safeway and our local famer’s markets in Alameda provides much needed fresh produce. In that sense our Food Bank is able to provide a large variety of fresh produce and canned goods and their waste rates are minimal. If the Food Bank cannot use the food it is gladly received by Bay Worms http://www.bayworms.org/ whose mission is to:

1. Divert food and organic waste from our landfills.
2. Educate and benefit the public by promoting and implementing vermiculture practices.
3. Create high quality soil amendments or fertilizer in the form of worm castings as an alternative to commercially produced synthetic products.

The Alameda Food Bank is so grateful for food and/or cash donations because they can make great use of both. Once our harvests start, our produce donations from the network of growers in the Alameda Backyard Growers group will help provide much needed fresh ingredients for nutritious meals. By donating money, the Food Bank makes your dollar stretch really far. Another alternative is to donate time and their are some great volunteer opportunities. For up to date opportunities, visit http://www.alamedafoodbank.org/volunteer.html

Thanks to those who attended and asked great questions. I am sure I’m speaking for everyone when I say that we’re grateful to the Alameda Food Bank for the work they do. Janice and I would also like to thank you growers in advance for the contribution you’re going to make with donation of the excess produce from your own micro farm.

Keep on Growing and don’t forget it’s not too late to sign up for the parade! Drop us a mail at alamedabackyardgrowers@gmail.com

The Soul of Gardening

A really good friend of mine brought me an article that was actually about money, slow money to be more precise. What on earth does this have to do with gardening? Well, as I’ve discovered, it has everything to do with gardening. The author interviewed Woody Tasch and one of the comments he made I felt I had to share with the group. He was talking about the large agricultural food system that we support and how top soil was eroding which will affect our ability to feed our growing population (very pertinent observation considering the topic of our next gardening meeting on June 10th at High Street Station with Master Gardener Birgitt Evans).

Tasch is urging us to support CSA groups for example and bring the focus back to small scale agriculture. When asked what would be the one thing he would tell people to do it was this :”Grow some vegetables, even if it’s just herbs or lettuce or garlic. It’s hard for a thinking, feeling person to be involved in that process and not be amazed by it.”

I agree 100%. Every morning, I go to visit our raised beds in the garden and on Pam Pierce’s advice from her book “Golden Gate Gardening” have a cup of tea and watch the small changes that have taken place. I thought my tomato plants were not going to produce and just the other day, I looked closer and past the plentiful flowers, I saw some tiny green tomatoes. It’s amazing to be part of the process of growing something. In fact, that makes me think of another point Woody Tausch makes “if we don’t produce anything for ourselves, then all we have is purchasing power. Our money is our only protection against deprivation.” Right here in our backyards, we are producing something and even better producing for others who may not have access to land to grow their own produce.

Grow on gardeners!