Check in weekly, on Wednesdays, to read our new post on gardening, harvesting, and making use of that fine, extra-local produce! We’ll share tips and techniques, gleaned from our urban farms and gardens. Email info@growpittsburgh.org with any topics you’d like us to cover.
Tomato bounty at Braddock Farms.
If you’re a seasoned gardener, you may have occasionally been overwhelmed with certain types of produce. There’s a gardening joke that goes, “Why should you lock your car in the summer, if you’ve got gardening friends?” The answer is, “So no one puts zucchini in it!” Luckily, in Pittsburgh, there’s a better way to deal with excess produce.
The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank’s Community Harvest program offers assistance in getting homegrown produce to the people who need it most in our communities. They offer two drop off locations on Saturdays only from 10am-2:00pm, mid-July through mid-October:
- Penn Hills Lawn & Garden Center : 200 Jefferson Rd. Pittsburgh, PA 15235
- Urban Gardener : 1901 Brighton Rd. Pittsburgh, PA 15212
If neither of these locations is convenient for you, the Food Bank has tool, searchable by zip code, to help you find the community agency closest to you that can accept your produce donation. Find the tool, marked “Find Agencies” on this page.
Lots of scotch bonnet hot peppers at Braddock Farms.
The Food Bank has the following guidelines for caring for produce you intend to donate:
- Make sure all produce donated has at least 3-5 days of shelf life
- Use good hygiene practices when harvesting and handling fresh produce
- Use a tarp when transporting produce in your vehicle
- Be sure to tell the agency that you are donating through the Community Harvest program
If you’ve got questions or want some help getting in touch with your local agency, call (412) 460-3663 x400, or email communityharvest@gpcfb.org.
Piles of radishes at Braddock Farms.
Thanks for considering spreading the bounty of your garden and reaching those who can most benefit from fresh, locally-grown produce!