Montgomery Parks Hosts Community Garden Harvest Parties to Donate Fresh Produce to People Experiencing Food Insecurity

Montgomery Parks is hosting a harvest party on Sunday, October 16, at 11 a.m. at Fenton Street Urban Park. Montgomery Parks partner HarvestShare will collect and donate freshly grown produce from the Fenton Street Urban Park community garden to local food assistance providers.

This year, gardeners at Montgomery Parks community gardens have donated over 2,900 pounds of fresh food, surpassing last year’s total by about 400 pounds. Gardeners at Fenton Street Urban Park community garden have donated more than 250 pounds of produce.

WHO: Gardeners at Fenton Street Urban Park community garden will harvest and weigh surplus produce with HarvestShare, a volunteer-run nonprofit, who will transport the produce to food assistance providers in the county. The nonprofit will donate collected produce to MUM (Mid-County United Ministries). ** Montgomery Parks’ Community Garden Program Manager Michelle Nelson, the Fenton Street community garden volunteer liaison and the executive director of HarvestShare will be available for interviews.

WHAT: Learn about Montgomery Parks’ harvest parties, where gardeners donate surplus produce to people experiencing food insecurity. This effort falls under the food recovery priority of Parks’ community garden program.

WHERE: Fenton Street Urban Park Community Garden at 7904 Fenton St., Silver Spring. The community garden features 52 plots of either 200 or 400 square feet.

 WHEN: 11 a.m., Sunday, Oct. 16, 2022

WHY: To reduce gardeners’ food waste and minimize county food insecurity. Gardeners with Montgomery Parks’ community gardens donate surplus produce to food assistance providers in the county. Montgomery Parks partners with HarvestShare and all the fresh produce is weighed, transported and distributed. For more information about food recovery events in our region, visit DMV Food Recovery Week.