March Update

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The Season of Starting

Plant now. Feed a neighbor in August.

As we welcome the first real hints of spring, March is the month gardeners come alive with sketchbooks out, seed catalogs dog-eared, soil temperatures finally creeping upward. At AmpleHarvest.org, we see something else in this moment too: a great opportunity to fight hunger.

Food pantries across the country are heading into spring with depleted shelves. Holiday donations have long since faded, and SNAP disruptions continue to push more families through pantry doors. The need is real, it's growing, and the communities around us are feeling it.

If you're a gardener, we're asking you to consider Plant for Hunger this season. One extra row of beans. A few more tomato plants than you need. A dedicated corner of your garden set aside for giving. Every pound of fresh produce you grow and donate is something a food pantry simply cannot buy — and something a family will never forget.

And if gardening isn't your thing? You are just as vital to this mission. Sharing AmpleHarvest.org with a gardening friend plants a seed of its own. A financial donation helps us connect more pantries with more growers across all 50 states. Volunteering at a local pantry means fresh donations actually reach the people who need them. There is a place for every kind of person in this movement — because ending hunger takes all of us.

Welcome to the season of starting. However you show up, let's make it count.

April Gardening Challenge

This April, join millions of gardeners across America in growing extra vegetables to donate to a local food pantry. Tomatoes, beans, peppers, herbs — anything fresh makes a difference. Visit AmpleHarvest.org to find your nearest pantry and pledge today!

March Food Holidays to Celebrate

March is one of the most food-rich months on the national calendar, and we think that's worth celebrating. Here's how a few of this month's food holidays connect to the work we do together:

National Nutrition Month (all of March) is perhaps the most fitting of all. Fresh fruits and vegetables are the foundation of good nutrition — and they're also the hardest thing for food pantries to source. When gardeners donate their surplus harvest, they're not just filling a shelf. They're delivering vitamins, fiber, and genuine nourishment that shelf-stable donations simply can't replicate. This month, think about what you're planting and who it could nourish beyond your own table. Read our guest blog about National Nutrition Month.

National Celery Month (all of March) is a good reminder that humble, workhorse vegetables matter enormously to pantry visitors. Celery is a staple in soups, stews, and everyday cooking.

From 5,000 to 10,000: The Bold Goal to Double Fresh Food Access Nationwide

AmpleHarvest.org is working toward an ambitious goal: expanding from 5,000 to 10,000 participating communities nationwide. This blog explores how doubling that reach can strengthen public health, reduce food waste, and help ensure more families have access to the fresh food they deserve — and how your community can be part of making it happen. Read more

New Resource: AmpleHarvest.org/Government

We’ve just launched AmpleHarvest.org/Government - a new resource toolkit created specifically for local, county, and state government officials.

Its purpose is simple: to help government leaders strengthen hunger relief in our communities by making it easier for millions more gardeners to donate their surplus harvests to thousands more food pantries. The toolkit shows officials how AmpleHarvest.org can help more healthy, freshly harvested food reach local hunger-relief agencies at no cost to government.

Here’s where you come in:

Please consider forwarding this to your mayor, county officials, state legislators, or other government contacts and ask them to pass it along to the person or department that works on hunger relief, food access, senior services, health, community wellbeing, or related programs. This can also be adapted to be a letter to the editor or posting on a community forum.

You can make it easy by sending a note like this:

"I thought this might be useful for our community. AmpleHarvest.org/Government is a simple, cost-free toolkit from a nationwide, award-winning nonprofit that shows local, county, and state officials how to help more gardeners donate fresh food to nearby hunger-relief agencies. Please take a look, and if appropriate, forward it to whoever handles hunger, food access, or related community programs."

Sometimes one forwarded email can help open the door to more fresh food reaching people in need in our communities.

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.