April 18, 2024
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McHenry County master gardeners grow produce to donate to local food pantries

Work is part of the University of Illinois Extension program called ‘Growing for Good,’ which led to the donation of 4,600+ pounds of food statewide last year

By Northwest Herald staff report

Tended by the University of Illinois Extension McHenry County Master Gardeners, this half-acre Demonstration Garden is literally in the backyard of McHenry County College. (Photo provided)

McHenry County gardeners are growing vegetables and fruits in their home gardens to donate to local food pantries this season, part of University of Illinois Extension program called “Growing for Good.”

Last season, in 2020, statewide Extension Master Gardeners donated more than 4,600 pounds through this project, and McHenry County was responsible for 729 of those pounds, according to a news release.

“We hope to donate even more this year,” Brenda Dahlfors, program coordinator for the McHenry County Extension Master Gardeners, said in the release

Program participants fill out an application that identifies what and how much they plan to grow – for example, three tomato plants and a 3-foot row of green beans, Dahlfors said. They also designate which food pantry they will be donating to.

The University of Illinois Extension program has 143 master gardeners in McHenry County, and the “Growing for Good” program provides them with volunteer opportunities while still complying with governmental and University of Illinois COVID-19 policies.

“So it’s a win-win situation,” Dahlfors said in the release. “Extension Master Gardeners get to continue their service to the community, and they can help reduce food insecurity within their hometowns.”