Harvest initiative pushes growth of fresh food, tackling food insecurity in DE

DELAWARE,- In Delaware,  local organizations is urging residents to grow fresh in hopes of tackling food insecurity.

The Food Bank of Delaware is partnering with Delaware Center for Horticulture and the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society for their second Harvest Initiative.

The purpose is to encourage the community to grow their own food and donate them to those in need.

The Food bank says they want to get the word out that they’re equipped to receive fresh food donations and despite the current hardships facing gardeners, they hope to encourage many to keep planting to help feed the community.

“Often times when you think of a food pantry you think of non-perishable items like cans and box goods but we want to change the perception of the public that yes we are also able to accept fresh food,” said Communications Director for the Food Bank Of Delaware’s Kim Turner. “So we’re hoping that people will continue with their backyard gardens and they’ll think of us and our partners when your tomatoes or cucumbers are exploding and you just don’t know what to do with all the access.”

According to Feeding America, last year saw about 140, thousand food insecure Delawareans, a number that has decreased to about 114,000.

The food bank says though the number has declined, their mission is to continue to tackle the issue in the first state.