Westmoor Park's PAR Gardens

For Immediate Release

Contact: Jane Gottier

Westmoor Park

Plant a Row for the Hungry

TEL: 860.561.8264

Jane.gottier@westhartford.org

Local Gardeners Celebrate National

20-n-20 Fight Against Hunger

Over 20 Million Pounds Raised Nationwide in 20 Years

through the Plant a Row for the Hungry Campaign.

Since the first harvests in 1994, gardeners in the U.S. and Canada have delivered more than 20 million pounds of fresh vegetables and fruits to the needy through local Plant a Row for the Hungry (PAR) programs. This year PAR is celebrating raising over 20 million pounds in the first 20 years (20-n-20). This means over 80 million meals have been donated by American gardeners. All of this has been achieved without government subsidy — just people helping people.

Following a successful 2013 gardening season raising fresh vegetables such as tomatoes, beans, potatoes and squash, Westmoor Park in West Hartford looks forward to another productive gardening year helping produce fresh, nutritious food for recipients in the Hartford/West Hartford community. Local gardeners are pitching in again this year and growing an extra row for the Plant a Row for the Hungry program. Plans are underway for organically grown produce to be harvested and then donated at the House of Bread in Hartford and the two West Hartford senior centers.  Donated produce from Westmoor Park PAR Garden has contributed to reaching the significant milestone of 20 million pounds in 20 years (20-n-20) for the Plant a Row for the Hungry program. Westmoor Park has been involved in this program since 1999 and has donated just under one acre to PAR.  The park donates an average of 2,500 pounds of produce per year.

Westmoor Park will have a PAR Kickoff event on Saturday, May 3, 2014 from 9:00 a.m. to noon.  We will begin by preparing planting rows and planting some cold crops.  Volunteers, the backbone of our PAR program, are needed to work in PAR on Mondays and/or Wednesdays, 9:00 a.m. to noon from May to October (weather permitting).  We also need volunteers for the first Saturday of each month starting May 3, from 9:00 a.m. to noon.

Volunteer forms are available on our website at www.westmoorpark.org under Plant a Row.  Please return the forms by mail or fax.  All levels of gardening skills are welcome.  For more information please contact Jane Gottier, Park Horticulturist and Plant a Row for the Hungry Coordinator at 860-561-8264.