DMGA Plant-A-Row for the Hungry Garden Receives Whole Foods Donation

September 2007

The DeKalb Master Gardener Association (DMGA) was selected by Whole Foods Market to receive a donation under the “Partners in Our Community” program.  A donation of 5% of the day’s net store sales is made to a charitable cause.  On September 26, funds were raised by the Buckhead Whole Foods Market store to support local community gardens.  DMGA was chosen because its Brookhaven Plant a Row for the Hungry (PAR) Garden was found to be the community garden located closest to the store.

While Whole Foods Market has sources worldwide, they are committed to supporting local vendors and growers.  Alisha Bess, Marketing Team Leader for Whole Foods, points out that “locally grown food is not only fresher, but it has a reduced carbon footprint, a concept which is becoming increasingly important as we learn to conserve energy and water resources.”  Her team welcomes the opportunity to give back to the community and to be involved with gardens that are close by, even to the point of volunteering to work in community gardens.

DMGA cooperated with the Atlanta Community Food Bank to staff a display table and to share the Whole Foods donation.  The Atlanta Food Bank distributes donated food and groceries through more than 800 nonprofit partner agencies in Metro Atlanta and North Georgia.  The Food Bank's community garden coordinator, Fred Conrad, offers help with finding a site, organizing the gardeners, gathering materials and locating volunteers for starting a PAR garden.

The Brookhaven PAR Garden maintained by DMGA produced over 700 pounds of vegetables this year.  The harvest was donated to The Methodist Children’s Home and Project Open Hand.  The garden is located at the DeKalb Services Center at the corner of Peachtree Road and Osborne Road.  Master Gardeners Loretta Parker, Bert Weaver, Phil Edwards, and Julie Davis head up the vegetable gardening efforts, with other Master Gardeners helping at specially called workdays.  DMGA plans to use the funds donated by Whole Foods Market toward an irrigation system and other improvements at the PAR garden.