— from Pegi Groundwater —

Summer has come early this year and the warmth and dryness that we have experienced means that gardens are brimming with fresh produce. If you participated in the Orcas Master Gardeners’ “Plant a Row” Program, now is the time to start delivering the food from that extra row to the Food Bank. Even if you did not participate directly, the Master Gardeners urge you to share your bounty with the hungry on the island by donating part of your garden produce to the Food Bank.

Donations should be made on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Please rinse the dirt off of all produce before dropping it off in the bin provided in front of the Food Bank’s door. The Food Bank is located at 176 Madrona St. next to the Community Church in Eastsound, behind Island Market.

If you need help harvesting your garden or orchard, the Orcas Island Gleaners can help you out. We are volunteers who supply our own equipment to carefully harvest fruit or vegetables on your property by appointment. You can contact us directly by calling Pegi Groundwater at 376-3957 or by calling the Food Bank at 376-4445 and leaving a message.

All food is donated to the Food Bank, the Farm to Cafeteria program, the Senior Center, Kaleidoscope or other groups helping the hungry on Orcas. If you would like to volunteer to be a gleaner, please call Pegi at 376-3957.