Article by Jude Berman, Giving Garden Goddess

The Interbay P-Patch donated 4648 lbs of fresh produce in 2012 to those in need, of which almost half is from individuals annually rented plots.

Photo by Tino Tran

There’s nothing like the generosity of gardeners! About 35 people showed up on a grey (but not rainy) Tuesday afternoon, April 9, to kick off the 2013 food bank gardening season at Interbay P-Patch, and all those hands sure made light work. We harvested about 50 pounds of overwintered kale and chard, chopped up the spent stalks for compost, turned soil, planted beet, lettuce and bean starts provided by the Ballard greenhouse, and WEEDED. The food bank beds have never looked so lovely at the start of the season!

In addition to our regular dedicated volunteers, we welcomed lots of new Interbay gardeners eager to join the food bank crew. Operations Manager Peggy Baily and other representatives from the Ballard Food Bank (the recipient of the bulk of our donations) were also on hand, reminding us that their clients are eagerly awaiting the gorgeous organic produce from Interbay, and how much it is appreciated. Ballard High School horticulture teacher India Carlson brought several students with her: the horticulture classes grow starts for our giving garden in their beautiful greenhouse. It was wonderful to see the full spectrum of humanity, from teenagers to 70-somethings, getting down and dirty for such a great cause!

One special visitor was local photographer Tino Tran, who saw a blog post in the Queen Anne View about our kickoff and came down to see what we were up to. He was so impressed, he’s planning to document our program this season! Click here to view his beautiful photos: http://on.fb.me/ZnYxzN

After the work party, as we sat down to enjoy a glass of wine and a potluck supper of homemade soup and snacks, the skies cleared and some sun peeked through, boding well for a wonderful season. Please feel free to join us any Tuesday, from 5:30 pm until dusk. Everyone is welcome!