Use your food garden to help your community this year by donating your extra produce to places like PACS.
It’s officially the growing season and here at Colonial Gardens, we have one of the largest selections of edible crops in the area. Our goal is to be a one-stop shop for food gardening for our customers to find everything they need for growing their own food. This includes common crops, but also certified organic options, heirlooms, international favorites, and things not found in the grocery store. Over the course of the year, we will offer over 300 varieties of edible crops. You can find more information here.
With grocery prices high and an increasing desire to find affordable healthy food, we expect it to be a busy season for our food gardening department. If you have a successful season, you’ll likely arrive at a moment where you find yourself with too much produce to eat by yourself. To make sure that your food doesn’t go to waste, we reached out to PACS, one of our wonderful community non-profits here in Phoenixville, for best practices on donating your extra food.
Phoenixville Area Community Services (PACS) has been serving the Phoenixville community since 1972. PACS works to increase food security for vulnerable residents of Phoenixville and the surrounding area in many ways, including a “cost-free grocery experience” at their Market in Phoenixville. They receive much of their food donations from “retail rescue,” but a notable amount of their food comes from direct donations from the public.
That includes home garden produce! We reached out to PACS to ask them a few questions about what to donate and how. Market manager Julie gave us some guidance that we’re here to pass on.
What home garden foods would PACS accept?
“I think we would take just about any type of produce, though if it’s something unique, including “how to use/cook with” information makes guests more likely to try something new. Popular produce tends to include fruit, tomatoes, potatoes, onions, peppers, cilantro, etc.”
Are there any recommendations about how items should be packed?
“It’s usually helpful if herbs are bagged, but sorters can always do that during quality assurance checks.”
How can our community members donate to PACS?
“Dropping off donations during our regular hours is the best way to get it to us.”
(At the time of this blog, Mon. 9am-5pm, Tues thru Fri. 9am – 4pm and Sat. 10am – 1pm. You can find up to date times here.)
Don’t have a garden at home? Try volunteering at one of our local community gardens like the one at Reservoir Park, or upcoming opportunities in East Pikeland Township. Look for chances at your faith organizations, local parks, work, or clubs to find spaces to grow food. Offer to help a friend or family member with their garden. If you can find the space, you’ll likely find that growing your own food, or food for folks in need, is an extremely rewarding way to spend your time.
According to their website, PACS has reported seeing an 83% increase in direct requests for food assistance over the past year. At the same time, Chester County Food Bank, one of the largest donors of food to PACS, recently had orders of food cancelled by the USDA as part of government cuts. This is a particularly important time for our community to reduce our own food waste and donate where we can to those who need it most. We know that the folks who shop at Colonial are often looking for ways they can make a positive impact on their community, and we hope that you’ll take this opportunity to make a difference!
Colonial Gardens is an independent garden center serving the Phoenixville area since 1967. We have one of the largest selections of plants in the area along with landscaping services, a full-service florist, and seasonal events for all ages. We are committed to becoming a more sustainable business and to supporting our community through partnerships with non-profits like PACS. We thank you for reading this blog and for shopping small when you can.