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Wisconsin gardeners and food pantries unite to feed the hungry

“Plant A Row for the Hungry” encourages people to grow extra produce to donate

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A person in a green shirt and yellow cap harvests crops in a field with a white barn and corn rows visible in the background under a clear blue sky.
Associated Physicians Volunteer Day at Madison Area Food Pantry Gardens. Madison Area Food Pantry Gardens is one of several organizations in Wisconsin providing fresh produce to food pantries. Photo courtesy of Madison Area Food Pantry Gardens

Every county in America experiences food insecurity, according to a new report from Feeding America. 

And recent cuts made by the Trump administration mean $1 billion will no longer fund farms, food banks and school programs.

As 600,000 people face food insecurity across Wisconsin, local food pantries now face increasing demand while having less food to distribute. 

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“The number of families that come through looking for support with food is staggering for the small number of people in our Waushara County,” Susan Herman, a volunteer with Waushara County Food Pantry, told WPR’s “Wisconsin Today.” 

The Waushara County Food Pantry in central Wisconsin supports about 1,100 people every month. Last year, the pantry distributed nearly 500,000 pounds of food to those in need, including 2,000 pounds of fresh produce donated by local gardeners and farmers. 

To help meet the growing demand this year, the pantry is partnering with the Waushara Gardeners club to distribute more fruits and vegetables to those in need. It is one of many Wisconsin pantries looking to gardeners to help feed people in the community. 

Three people kneel in a garden bed planting seedlings near a red van parked beside a brick building.
Waushara Gardeners help install new raised garden beds at the Waushara County Food Pantry to offer fresh produce to pantry users. Photo courtesy Waushara County Food pantry

Grow local to fight food insecurity

The Waushara pantry encourages people to grow and donate fresh fruits and vegetables through a national campaign: “Plant A Row for the Hungry.” For 30 years, the campaign has recognized the connection between local gardeners and those facing food insecurity.

Volunteers like Herman drive to multiple locations in Waushara County each week to pick up nonperishable and perishable items for the pantry. Fresh produce from local gardeners is distributed to pantry patrons.

“They’ll get three vegetables, two fruits and garlic,” Herman said. 

Kathy Shaw, president of the Waushara Gardeners, said its new pantry partnership happened by accident earlier this year after a presenter scheduled to speak at its monthly meeting had to cancel.  The club then reached out to the Waushara County Food Pantry to talk about community needs — and the rest is history.

“The two just mesh perfectly together as a way of supporting the people in our community that are food insecure,” Shaw said.

Herman said there’s a lot of misunderstanding about people who need food. She said people using the pantry often don’t have ingredients, like milk and butter, to make boxed macaroni and cheese. 

But cucumbers, tomatoes, potatoes, onions and other vegetables offer both a healthy and versatile option.

“The people coming through are good, hardworking people. But sometimes it’s just too hard to make ends meet,” she said

Shaw and her husband grow enough vegetables to last them throughout the year. As the summer months continue, she plans to donate beans, broccoli, pears and apples from her garden to support the pantry.

A group of ten adults, mostly wearing red shirts with a white logo, pose and smile outdoors on a sunny day. Trees and a parking lot are visible in the background.
Waushara Gardeners club dedicated two benches in the city of Wautoma, Wis. Photo courtesy Waushara Gardeners club

“It’s great that we have an outlet to help someone else that is food insecure with excess produce,” she said. “It isn’t just going to rot.”

Herman said fresh donations that spoil before being given away are composted and added to the pantry’s new demonstration garden beds. 

Both Shaw and Herman say their partnership has sparked other ideas for collaboration. 

“There’s been a little talk of another area behind the food pantry where they might be able to start up a community garden,” Shaw said. 

Programs in your area

Waushara County is one of several communities in Wisconsin where gardeners can help fight hunger. Here are programs where you can donate:

Graphic with nine light bulbs, one lit, and text: Join the Challenge. Goal: 1,200 donations by June 26. Red circle reads Power WPR.

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