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SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Ozarks Food Harvest’s Full Circle Gardens program distributed more than 10,000 Garden-To-Go Kits in March to help families facing hunger in southwest Missouri grow fresh food at home. Each kit contained seeds for a flower, herb and eight different vegetables. To help individuals get the most out of their kit, they also included a planting calendar with links to gardening instructions and budget-friendly recipes.

Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company, Wickman’s Garden Village, Westlake Ace Hardware and other local retailers donated more than $1 million worth of seeds to The Food Bank to make these kits.

“These seeds and resources help improve not only food security in families, but food security in communities,” said Alexa Poindexter, director of Full Circle Gardens at Ozarks Food Harvest. “What we find is that folks who grow food love to share; share food, share knowledge, share recipes and it all helps strengthen communities. We are so incredibly grateful for our seed donors for helping to empower our neighbors.”

Ozarks Food Harvest distributed their Garden-To-Go Kits through its network of 270 faith-based and community charities as well as other Feeding America food banks in Missouri and Arkansas. The Food Bank’s staff and volunteers began sorting, assembling and packing Garden-To-Go Kit materials in November.

Ozarks Food Harvest’s Full Circle Gardens program began in 2014 with gleaning from local farms as part of their strategic initiative to increase fresh produce distribution. Today, The Food Bank collaborates with dozens of local partners to provide garden education and resources to neighbors, 42 produce donors and distribute more than 100,000 seed packets to the community every year.

The Food Bank has many opportunities for community members to get involved this season and help families access fresh and nutritious produce. For those who have their own garden, you can plant an extra row and bring the harvest for donation to Ozarks Food Harvest. If you have a large garden, farm or orchard, you can contact The Food Bank’s Glean Team at [email protected] to harvest and collect your donation for neighbors experiencing hunger.

If you are interested in joining the Glean Team or volunteering at Ozarks Food Harvest, you can sign up at ozarksfoodharvest.org/volunteer.

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About Ozarks Food Harvest — The Food Bank
Ozarks Food Harvest is the Feeding America food bank for southwest Missouri, serving 270 faith-based and community charities across a third of Missouri. The Food Bank reaches 90,000 individuals monthly and provides more than 23 million meals annually. Learn more at ozarksfoodharvest.org, facebook.com/ozarksfoodharvest or instagram.com/ozarksfoodharvest.