Overview
The Organization
Welcome. We are the growers, gatherers, and innovators working to provide safe, nourishing food for our Jefferson County neighbors.
In 2012, WSU Extension produced a report citing the critical need for fresh produce for local foodbanks. In 2013, as an initiative of L20/20, through grants from the WSU Master Gardeners Foundation and the Jefferson County Foodbank Association, the Foodbank Farm and Gardens of Jefferson County incorporated with 2 gardens and grew 400 pounds of fresh produce for the Port Townsend Foodbank.
We developed MOU’s [Memoranda of Understanding] with landowners, a web and social media presence, procured insurance, and grew. And grew, adding school gardens, church gardens, home gardens, business gardens, a Grange garden, farm gardens, and other food bank gardens. No two are the same. All with a single vision: grow, gather, give.
Entering our second decade, we now provide produce for four Jefferson County foodbanks, having added Tri-Area, Quilcene and Brinnon. We maintain a strong partnership with WSU Master Gardeners, who volunteer in one or more capacities in nearly every garden, and we spun off Growing Groceries in conjunction with WSU to grow more growers. One of our garden managers created the WSU Seed Library, another volunteer began a pilot for a successful freeze drying project that is currently being scaled up by other partners. When COVID shut down the country, we partnered with a local initiative to deliver produce from the gardens to the Port Townsend Food Bank via Peddler PT, using an electric bike. We formed the Wild Rovers, a team that gardened in the summer at the Port Townsend High School Garden, and in winter travels from garden to garden helping on work parties as needed, [or in each other’s home gardens]. We have participated since 2019 in Jefferson County Farm Tours, have had a booth at the All County Picnic, and coordinated with the Quimper Gleaners, who work mostly with residential orchards.
In our 9th year, 9 gardens produced 40 pounds shy of 18,000 pounds of produce, and 117 dozen eggs, during a pandemic. We are now 11 gardens, with more in the pipeline, and have been growing our infrastructure with our first paid staff: a Garden Coordinator.
We have not only achieved our original goal, but with our incredible volunteers, have gone far beyond what any of us could have envisioned. We contribute to Jefferson County food security. We support local farms through giving people a chance to know the work and joy of farming. And how amazing food fresh from the garden tastes!
This website will capture best practice efforts, highlight successes, and link to learning opportunities. Together we will strive to nourish our soils as much as our collaborative efforts and grow more food along with a caring community.
We grow. We gather. We give.
Join us!
Mission Statement
The Food Bank Growers network grows, gathers, and gives away nutritionally-dense fruits and vegetables to build healthy, vibrant communities, improve food security, and decrease food waste for our Jefferson County neighbors.
Vision
Our gardens and website will provide "how-to" knowledge for best practices and be gathering spots for collaboration and fostering other food network connections.
Our Values
The Food Bank Garden Network is built upon these core beliefs:
- That consistent access to adequate daily nutrition is a fundamental human right.
- That by using an educational approach to gardening, volunteers can use learned skills in their own gardens and feel enriched in their volunteer experience.
- That by gathering (gleaning) unused produce from our neighbors, their gardens are healthier, there is more available to feed our community, and food is kept out of the waste stream.
- That fresh, organic produce can actively support healthier communities, contributing to lower incidence of lifestyle-related chronic diseases, such as obesity and diabetes.
- That by working together, we can accomplish more than by working separately.
- That there is ample abundance in Jefferson County sufficient to nurture and sustain all of us.
- That sharing good food brings joy and builds good relationships.
- Nourishing the soil, nourishes the plants that grow in it and in turn they nourish us.
