Alabama’s Bonnie Plants, the largest producer of vegetable and herb plants in the U.S., has partnered with nonprofit AmpleHarvest to launch a national campaign to stock charity food pantries with surplus from home gardens.
The effort is aimed at the growing shortage of fresh vegetables at food banks, caused by the ongoing virus crisis and economic lockdown.
“This is an opportunity for home gardeners to truly make a difference, during this unprecedented time of need, nationwide,” said AmpleHarvest.org Founder and Executive Director Gary Oppenheimer.
Bonnie Plants is donating 5 percent of all plants sold through bonnieplants.com from May 1 through July 31, to AmpleHarvest.org.
Bonnie Plants is also repurposing its test gardens in Union Springs, Alabama and in Marysville, Ohio to food growing. The company expects to grow more than 5,000 pounds of food at the two locations, all going to local food pantries in the two communities.
“As we see the COVID-19 crisis affect more of our friends and neighbors, we know that the power of home gardeners donating their own extra harvest through AmpleHarvest.org can canvas the country and create a home-grown solution, neighborhood by neighborhood, serving local food pantries and in turn people in need, nationwide,” said Bonnie Plants President and CEO Mike Sutterer.
Headquartered in Union Springs, in the heart of the Alabama Black Belt, Bonnie Plants is the nation’s largest supplier of vegetable and landscape plants to big box retailers such a Lowe’s. Bonnie, established in 1918, grows 300 varieties of vegetable and herb plants for home gardeners across the country, with more than 70 growing stations supplying the 48 contiguous states.
AmpleHarvest is focused on diminishing hunger by enabling the nation’s 42 million gardeners to donate garden surplus to local food pantries. For more information, visit AmpleHarvest.org or call AMPLE-6-9880 (267-536-9880).
