As food insecurity tightened its grip on Seattle communities in 2023, P-Patch Giving Gardens eased the pain by donating 33,438 pounds of fresh produce to food banks, despite an unusually hot and dry summer. Here’s a snapshot of how much organic and pesticide-free produce our resilient volunteers delivered to food banks last year:
- Barton Street P-Patch – 1000 pounds
- Beacon Food Forest – 3540 pounds
- Belltown P-Patch – 343 pounds
- Bradner Gardens P-Patch – 1649 pounds
- Delridge P-Patch – 507 pounds
- Hillman City P-Patch – 558 pounds
- Magnuson Community Garden – 5357 pounds
- Picardo Farm P-Patch – 2922 pounds
Since 1973, Seattle’s P-Patch gardens have strengthened community relationships, encouraged civic engagement, and served as restorative gathering spaces throughout the city. Generosity is a consistent thread that runs through every P-Patch in Seattle. Community gardeners share their time, knowledge, and kindness with each other. While we know that every garden is a place where giving is an everyday part of the culture, some gardens have formalized their donation programs and track how much produce they share with the community each year. There are 90 P-Patches serving various neighborhoods in Seattle; and in 2023, 58 of them had a system for sharing produce. P-Patch gardeners volunteered their time starting seeds, tending garden beds, harvesting produce, and delivering food to ensure that fewer people worried about where they would find their next meal. And Seattle’s Giving Garden Network helped make that generosity possible by providing free seeds and starts to gardeners.
What P-Patch Giving Garden Volunteers Are Saying
“Food insecurity is a passion of mine. I want all people to have access to fresh foods and fruit regardless of income.” ~Gardener at Fremont Whirled Peas P-Patch
“It’s wonderful to support our neighbors in need with fresh and organic produce. We have a strong team who have cultivated a real community. Every year, we add one or two more gardeners or community members.” ~Gardener at Ballard P-Patch
“With the cost-of-living increases, it’s only right to share our bounty with neighbors in need. We understand that our 405-pound contribution may not entirely close food insecurities but feel that every little bit helps, especially when our organic produce is hyper-local and nutrient rich! “ ~Gardener at Judkins P-Patch
Learn more about Seattle’s P-Patch Community Gardening Program and get involved.
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