Hundreds Of Pounds Of Veggies Donated To Bloomfield Food Pantry

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — Community gardening is paying off in Bloomfield.

The Township of Bloomfield’s Community Garden Committee recently donated 65 pounds of fresh produce to the local food pantry, bringing the total amount for the season to a whopping 540 pounds. This included an immense variety of vegetables including tomatoes, various kinds of squash, peppers, kale, collards, swiss chard, cucumbers, basil, and peppermint, municipal officials said.

Third Ward Councilwoman Sarah Cruz said that in 2021, donations from both gardens to local food pantries was 712 pounds by October.

“This year we have exceeded 500 pounds as of August,” Cruz reported, adding that the goal is 1,000 pounds.

Cruz, the council liaison to the committee, has a plot at Milbank and says that gardening with neighbors is “very rewarding” because you get produce for your own home and you can also contribute to the community food banks who don't often get fresh fruits and vegetables.”

According to a municipal news release:

“The Bloomfield Community Garden Committee’s mission is to prolong an invested interest in maintaining and enhancing Bloomfield’s community garden spaces, organizing and promoting various community garden activities and projects, and fostering a community garden spirit that celebrates recreational organic gardening. The Committee encourages gardening in the township, healthy living, positive eating habits, and environmental stewardship. In addition to conducting garden-related activities and workshops, they also harvest and deliver community garden vegetables to the local food pantry in coordination with the Neighbor to Neighbor Network.”

Support for the Community Garden comes from a grant from Partners for Health Foundation to the Neighbor to Neighbor Network.

People interested in joining the community garden can email bloomfieldnjgardens@gmail.com.

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