Share the Harvest with AmpleHarvest and Feeding America

Every August, gardens across the country produce more zucchini, tomatoes, cucumbers, and green beans than any single household can eat. In the same months, 44 million Americans, including roughly 5 million seniors, do not have enough food, according to Feeding America. A free service called AmpleHarvest.org matches home gardeners with the nearest food pantry that will accept fresh produce, in many cases within a 10-minute drive of the gardener.

The service was founded in 2009 by a New Jersey gardener who realized that most food pantries are happy to accept fresh garden vegetables, but most gardeners do not know which pantries to call. AmpleHarvest.org now lists more than 8,800 participating pantries across all 50 states, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The website is simple — type a zip code, see a map of pantries that accept fresh produce, click a pantry for the address, drop-off hours, and any special instructions such as washing or bagging requirements.

For older gardeners, donating extra produce turns a problem (too much zucchini) into a purpose (feeding neighbors). The act of harvest plus delivery counts as a meaningful weekly errand that combines light exercise, driving, and social contact with pantry volunteers. Research from the AARP Foundation has consistently shown that this kind of regular, low-pressure volunteering improves senior mental health more than almost any other activity.

The national network behind most pantries is Feeding America at feedingamerica.org. Feeding America runs 200 large regional food banks that supply 60,000 smaller pantries and meal programs. The Feeding America food bank locator shows the regional bank for any zip code. The regional bank can sometimes pick up larger garden donations — a 50-pound flat of tomatoes, or a wagon-full of pumpkins from a community garden — for distribution across multiple pantries. Small donations of a single grocery bag are best handed directly to a local pantry through the AmpleHarvest map. Sources include ampleharvest.org, feedingamerica.org, the USDA Food and Nutrition Service at fns.usda.gov, and the AARP Foundation at aarpfoundation.org.