Beans, corn, cucumbers and lettuce — if it grows in a garden Beth Lange said she has grown it in her yard and donated it.
The Laingsburg resident has been gardening since 1977 and has participated in Grow A Row — a program encouraging gardeners in the Lansing area to plant extra produce and donate it to people in need — for all five years of its existence.
"Everyone who grows a garden has surplus, and I think it's a good use to put it to," she said.
Van Atta's Greenhouse and Flower Shop, Food Movers and L&L Food Center have joined together for the fifth annual Grow A Row to bring fresh vegetables and fruit to people who can't afford to buy it.
More than 23,000 pounds of food, which is transported to soup kitchens and community centers, has been harvested and donated to the program in the last five years, said Scott Cameron, community projects coordinator for Van Atta's Greenhouse and Flower Shop.
"It really doesn't cost anything to throw an extra package of plants or another packet of seed in," said Ronda Liskey, who started the program while she worked at Van Atta's.
"There is a huge need in our own community for food for our hungry people," Liskey said. "In a nation as wealthy as this, it's a shame that anyone would go hungry."
The program was started shortly after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, in an attempt to do something beneficial for the community, she said.
"We started scrambling because we wanted to put goodness back into the world because too many bad things were happening," Liskey said.
Haven House, a homeless shelter for families in East Lansing, has been getting fresh produce at least once a week this summer, something that is not regularly on the menu, said Angie Mayeaux, director of Haven House.
"It's nice to have things not out of a can," Mayeaux said, adding that receiving fresh produce by donation is often the only way the shelter can have it.
She said she is not sure if Grow A Row donates to Haven House, but added residents are always appreciative of fresh food.
Food Movers, a division of the Greater Lansing Food Bank, picks up excess food from restaurants and grocery stores and transports it to food kitchens. It will also deliver the produce donated to Grow A Row to various food kitchens and distribution points, said Phyllis Handley, director of Food Movers.
"A lot of time people don't have money for produce, (and) they look for basic essentials," Handley said. "It's nice to be able to throw in some vegetables and fruit sometimes."
Sharon Krinoch, executive director of the Greater Lansing Food Bank, said Grow A Row received an ample supply of zucchini after she and her daughter grew 500 pounds in her garden a few years ago.
But Grow A Row isn't only for gardeners. People wanting to help are encouraged to buy fresh produce and drop it off at one of the locations as well. Krinoch said local farmer's markets are a great place to find fresh produce.
"This is a great program," Krinoch said. "It works really, really well for our community and excess produce doesn't go to waste."
