Chilliwack gardening enthusiasts proudly handed in their shiny new potatoes, blood-red beets, and well-formed turnips.
It was all destined for the local soup kitchen, as 53 pounds (24 kilograms), of locally grown produce was donated to the Chilliwack Salvation Army on Saturday.
"For this early in the season, it was a good start," said PARGAR coordinator Alanna Clempson.
The totals were weighed, washed, and recorded, and it was mostly cool weather crops ready first like a variety of greens, root veggies, as well as some early, dark-green broccoli.
It was the first event of the summer for Food Matters Chilliwack's Plant A Row/Grow A Row program.
A handful of growers came by Saturday to chat with other gardeners, swap or donate extra produce, or pick up some squash, tomato, or cucumber plants for an empty corner in the garden.
"Way to go, you guys," Clempson told participants on the PARGAR Facebook page.
"Looking forward to seeing more of you at the next swap."
The next drop-off and harvest swap for anyone with extra produce, is on July 28, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Sunshine Community Garden, behind the Mathieson Centre at 45195 Wells Road. Then again on Aug. 11 and Aug. 25.
There are still donated seed potatoes available for growers near the shaded side of the woodshed onsite at the community garden for anyone who wants to plant another round of spuds, say organizers.
More at foodmatterschilliwack.com/pargar/
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