Lisa Morin: Don't let the idea of growing your own food put you off

To The Daily Sun,

I have been reading that donations to food pantries are down. Many organizations are addressing this issue. Here is some information to help you find or donate food, personal items, pet food, or if you’d like to volunteer your time.

The University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension and its partners have developed what they call the New Hampshire Food Access Map. It is a central resource for those needing food (both perishable and non-perishable), personal items, and those looking to donate or volunteer in their community. The map is on-line and is interactive. I have found the best way to access the map is to Google "New Hampshire Food Access Map," since the web address is lengthy. When you visit the website, you’ll find instructions on how to navigate around the map to access the information you need, find volunteer opportunities, donate food/items, or make a monetary donation. Many organizations have uploaded their information including what products they have to offer, their location, contact information, and hours of operation.

There is financial assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to buy seeds and edible plants to grow your own food. Growing food from seeds and plants makes the SNAP benefits last longer because some plant varieties, when cared for properly, often produce a lot of food over several weeks. For more information visit the following website: (https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/dfa/foodstamps/index.htm). Don’t let the idea of gardening put you off! The UNH Cooperative Extension has fact sheets and volunteers to give you guidance on how to start a garden, grow plants in pots, and even how to cook or preserve the food you’ve grown! Some veggies, like radishes, only take a few weeks to grow before they are ready to eat! To access information from UNH Cooperative Extension go to website (https://extension.unh.edu/topics).

Later this spring and into the summer the Belknap County Conservation District (BCCD), via the N.H. Gleans program administered by UNH, will be working with local farmers and home gardeners to harvest and donate fresh foods to food pantries and senior centers. If you’d like to be involved please contact BCCD at telephone (603) 527-5880 or email lisa.morin@nh.nacdnet.net

We’re all in this together!

Lisa Morin

Belknap County Conservation District

NH Farm to School

Laconia