April Update

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The Month Isn't Over Yet — And Neither Is Your Chance to Make It Count

We're in the final days of April — National Garden Month, Plant for Hunger Month, and the week after Earth Day — and the energy across the AmpleHarvest.org community has been nothing short of remarkable. Gardeners in all 50 states have been planning, planting, and pledging to grow with purpose this season. If you've already committed your hunger row, thank you. If you haven't yet — there are still a few days left, and it's not too late.

One extra row. A few more transplants in the ground this weekend. That's all it takes to change someone's summer.

Earth Day: You Showed Up

This past Earth Day, so many of you shared AmpleHarvest.org, tagged us with #PlantForHunger, and made the connection between food waste, hunger, and your garden part of the national conversation.

Here's what that means in real terms: every time someone discovers AmpleHarvest.org and finds their local food pantry, a connection is made that can last for years. A gardener who donates once almost always donates again. The ripple effect of one Earth Day share is longer than you might think.

If you haven't shared AmpleHarvest.org with a fellow gardener yet, this week is still a meaningful time to do it. The growing season is just beginning.

Plant for Hunger Month: Final Days

April ends this week — and with it, our official Plant for Hunger Month. But here's what we want you to know: the commitment you make in the last days of April matters just as much as one made on April 1st. Seeds planted this weekend will feed a family in July. A pantry registration submitted today opens a door that stays open all year.

So if you've been meaning to:

Find your local food pantry on AmpleHarvest.org
Dedicate a section of your garden to donation
Register your food pantry on our network
Forward this newsletter to a gardening friend

Now is the moment. Don't let April close without making the connection.

Thank You to Our New Pantries This Month

April brought dozens of new food pantries into the AmpleHarvest.org network — each one a new destination for a gardener's surplus harvest, and a new source of fresh produce for families who need it. Every pantry that joins our network represents a community that is now better connected to the growers around it.

If your local food pantry isn't yet listed on AmpleHarvest.org, please share our free registration link with them before the growing season gets fully underway. The best time to register is before the harvests start arriving.

A Bridge to What's Ahead

April may be winding down, but the growing season is just finding its stride. Over the coming months, gardens across the country will produce more food than any single household can eat — and food pantries will be waiting.

Mark your calendars: August is Harvest for Hunger Month, and we'll be calling on gardeners everywhere to bring in their summer surplus and donate it to a local pantry. Between now and then, we'll be sharing planting tips, pantry spotlights, and stories from growers just like you.

The seeds you plant this week are the harvest that feeds someone in August. That is not a small thing.

However You Show Up, You Matter

Not a gardener? You are still essential to this mission.

Sharing AmpleHarvest.org with one person who does garden is an act of hunger relief. A financial donation helps us maintain and expand the pantry network that makes every gardener donation possible. Volunteering at your local pantry means the fresh food that arrives actually reaches the families who need it.

There is a role for every person in this movement — because ending hunger takes all of us.

Aremita’s garden

April Is Full of Reasons to Grow and Give

April's food calendar is packed — and almost every occasion connects back to the work AmpleHarvest.org does every day. Here's how to celebrate with purpose:

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ALL OF APRIL

National Garden Month

America's 80+ million gardening households represent the single greatest untapped hunger-relief resource in the country. This month, celebrate your garden by making it work for your community. Find a food pantry at AmpleHarvest.org and plan your hunger row today. Read about Aremita’s garden…

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ALL OF APRIL

Plant for Hunger Month

AmpleHarvest.org's signature April campaign invites gardeners everywhere to grow one extra crop — a dedicated "hunger row" — specifically to donate to a local food pantry. Tomatoes, beans, zucchini, peppers, herbs: whatever grows in your garden is exactly what a family at your local pantry is hoping for.

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ALL OF APRIL

National Lemon & Lime Month

Fresh citrus is a luxury that many food pantry visitors rarely see. If you're in a warm-weather state with citrus trees, April is a good time to check what's ripe — and bring a bag to your local pantry. Even a handful of lemons can brighten a week's worth of meals for a family.

Meet Us at ReFED's Food Waste Conference

AmpleHarvest.org founder Gary Oppenheimer will be in Charlotte, NC for the ReFED Food Waste Conference, May 19–21. If you're attending, we'd love for you to track him down — look for the white AmpleHarvest.org hat, the graying ponytail, and the beard. He'd be delighted to talk about our growing work with Native American reservations, our new program supporting local, county, and state governments, or anything else on the horizon for AmpleHarvest.org. Don't be shy — stop him and say hello!

Food pantries are continuing to see large numbers of people needing food assistance. If you've planted a garden, think about growing more to feed more. If you can't grow a garden, share AmpleHarvest.org on social media, volunteer, or donate. Every act of kindness counts.