Master Gardeners Grow 6,310 Pounds of Produce for Food Pantries
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Comal County’s Master Gardeners in 2018 donated a record 6,310 pounds of produce to food pantries in the county, easily beating last year’s record of about 6,100 pounds.
Coordinator Sam Norris said members volunteer their time to grow food in the demonstration garden at Comal County office of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, 325 Resource Dr. in New Braunfels.
Master Gardeners donate to five area food pantries – two in New Braunfels, and one each in Bulverde, Spring Branch and Canyon Lake.
“We do a lot of staples that people need,” Norris said. “We’ve got stuff in the ground right now that will go to the food pantries.”
During the year, the Master Gardeners donate potatoes, cabbage, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, cauliflower and numerous other vegetables to food pantries that often do not receive much fresh produce otherwise.
Master Gardeners volunteer in the Extension Office garden three days each week, and donate food as it’s ready to pick, usually every week, Norris said. Donations range in size from 5-10 pounds up to 100 pounds or more
Comal County provides space for the garden as well as office services for the gardeners. The garden was established in 2011, and since then the Master Gardeners have provided over 30,000 pounds of produce for local food pantries.
