It’s Time to Harvest (and share)!

    In spite of weather that is too wet or too hot and soil that is too sandy or rock-hard clay, over-watering, under-watering, and rookie planting mistakes, many of our gardens are producing healthy – and sometimes beautiful – produce. Eating a variety of fresh produce can add an amazing array of vitamins and nutrients to our diets. Replacing processed snacks, such as crackers and chips, with fresh vegetables, such as baby carrots, or fresh fruits, such as apples, can reduce high amounts of nutrient-poor “empty” calories with fewer and healthier, nutrient-rich calories.
    If your garden is producing enough that you can share some of your bounty, please consider donating some of your fresh fruits and vegetables to our local food pantries, our senior center or others in the community who are having trouble putting food on their tables.  Fresh, healthy produce is not always affordable for people who are struggling to pay for housing, medicine, back to school clothing and supplies, and other bills. Our community food pantries are thrilled to receive fresh and healthy produce from local gardeners. It doesn’t have to be a huge quantity to make a difference for one or more Brighton families, and it doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be fresh and healthy.
    Brighton Shares The Harvest is a small, nonprofit corporation that encourages and enables people in the Brighton area to grow produce in their gardens, or in community gardens, and to share some of their bountiful harvest. This year, we provided seeds and seedlings to dozens of people who said they were interested in donating produce, or who could benefit from growing some of their own family’s food, along with donating more than 100 decorated buckets planted with tomatoes. We also have a community garden plot at Zion Community Gardens, which is being tended by the North Metro Community Services Day Program Consumers. They have planted and nurtured squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplant, beans, peppers, and other vegetables, which they will be donating to local food pantries throughout the harvest season. 
    If you can help with donations of home grown or purchased produce, there are a lot of people in the Brighton area who would really benefit from receiving it. Four of our local community food pantries are helping more than 700 families each month, and they don’t always have fresh produce to offer their clients. Many of the senior center clients also appreciate fresh produce. The food pantries are all open on different days and times, and would welcome donations of fresh produce during these hours.
    Thank you for helping Brighton to share the harvest. We still have some seeds available if you want to do some fall planting or just be prepared for early spring. Send me a note if you would like some. More information is available at our website: www.brightonsharestheharvest.org.

Where to Donate

Brighton Senior Center, 575 Bush St., 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Thursday

Calvary Chapel Food Pantry, 161 East Bridge St., 1 to 2 p.m., Second and Fourth Wednesdays

His Hands Food Cupboard, 99 N First Ave.,  10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.,, Wednesdays and Saturdays

Seventh Day Adventist Food Pantry, 567 E Bromley Lane, 4:30 to 7 p.m., Wednesdays before the second and fourth Thursdays

St. Augustine’s Community Food Pantry, 129 S. Sixth Ave., 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays