We are excited to be honoring some of our community’s most dedicated growers and fresh food champions at our annual Garden Get Down.
This year, we honor Herbert “Herb” Byrns III as our Fresh Food Champion, presented in memoriam. Herb passed away on November 25, 2025. We remember and celebrate his extraordinary commitment to making fresh, nutritious food available to people in need.
Gardening was a lifelong passion for Herb, inspired by his father, who was an avid gardener. Herb’s commitment to fresh food access was rooted in his Navy experience as a supply officer, where he oversaw food service and ensured sailors received fresh fruits and vegetables whenever the ship was in port. He understood that quality produce nourished more than the body—they lifted morale and strengthened community.
After retiring from a 24-year career in the U.S. Navy, Herb sought meaningful ways to give back to his community. He found them through gardening, volunteering, and sharing his love of fresh produce. He felt strongly about supporting the community and giving people quality nutritious food.
Herb became deeply involved with Grow Pittsburgh, becoming a founding member of the Verona Community Garden, helping with maintenance at our Shiloh Farm in North Point Breeze, assisting with harvest and market preparation at our Braddock Farms, and financially supporting our work as a Perennial monthly donor. He also volunteered with the Rosedale Food Pantry, delivering vegetables he grew himself and helping rescue food that might otherwise have gone to waste.
His wife, Debbie, shared that Herb was passionate about plants, pollinators, and community. When they moved to Oakmont in 2018 and no longer had room for a home garden, Herb found a home at the community garden in Verona. He also worked part-time in the produce department at Giant Eagle, where he enjoyed connecting with people while doing something he loved.
“Very little kept him down,” Debbie said. “He loved the world and tried to make it a better place.”
Those who knew Herb remember his generosity, humility, curiosity, and remarkable willingness to help. Even while undergoing cancer treatments, he continued to honor his commitments and volunteer at our farms.
We celebrate Herb’s life and legacy with Debbie and his children, Paige and Sam, who will join us at the Garden Get Down in honoring his memory. His dedication to growing, sharing, and giving will continue to inspire us.
In future years, this annual award will be known as the Herb Byrns Fresh Food Champion Award, ensuring that Herb’s commitment to fresh food and community lives on.
Herb attended the 2025 Garden Get Down along with friends from Braddock Farms