Gardening can be a joyful, grounding act—but it can also be a powerful way to support your community. If you're wondering what vegetables to grow for donation or how to help fight food insecurity from your backyard, you're in the right place. Growing fresh produce for local food banks, pantries, or neighbors in need is one of the most impactful things a home gardener can do. And the good news? You don’t need to be a master gardener or have a huge space. Even one extra plant can make a difference.
Why Homegrown Donations Matter
Food insecurity affects millions of people in the United States—and it doesn’t always look like you might expect. It can mean a single person between jobs with a razor-thin safety net. It can mean a senior skipping meals to afford medication, or a parent who goes hungry so their child can eat.
Not all food banks and community pantries are able to bring in fresh produce. When it is available, the produce has often traveled hundreds of miles and several weeks, and lacks the variety typical in a grocery store. This is where home gardeners come in.
By growing a little extra with the intention to share, you can help close the gap and provide nourishing, locally grown foods that are often missing from donation shelves.
Plan Your Garden with Donation in Mind
You don’t need to overhaul your whole garden to make a difference. Simply designate a small section as your “Giving Garden.” You could add a few extra tomato plants, sow an extra row of greens, or grow a pot of herbs specifically for donation.
Here’s how to plan effectively:
- Know your space: Choose crops that grow well in your region and fit the conditions of your garden.
- Start small: Even one extra crop makes an impact.
- Think culturally: If your community has a strong cultural presence (e.g., Latinx, Southeast Asian, East African), try growing produce commonly used in those cuisines.
- Check with local groups: Reach out to your local food pantry or hunger relief program to ask if they have particular needs.
What Vegetables Should I Grow to Donate?
If you’ve ever asked yourself, “What vegetables should I grow for donation?”—you’re not alone. Each year, we ask Fresh Food Connect hunger relief partners to tell us more about the type of produce that their communities request.
Overwhelmingly, their first answer is consistently "Anything!" - not just vegetables, but also tree fruits, nuts, herbs, and even garden flowers! All of these add welcome variety, and their communities really appreciate that the produce comes from neighbors who care.
The rest of the list includes many vegetables you may already be growing, so don't be shy about planting a few extra for donation, or sharing your bumper crop.
Here are the top crops to consider when gardening for hunger relief:
We hope you are inspired by this list to plant something new or grow a little extra to donate in your community. For shorter growing seasons, look for smaller varieties that will mature quicker. If these items are new to you, check out this basic guide on planting your seeds. For more tips on how to grow for donation, check out our guide on Top 5 vegetables - and how to grow them here. If some of these are a bit challenging for you, we have a list of Eight easy plants to grow for donation.
If these items don't fit your growing climates and conditions, simply grow what works for you, and what you enjoy eating yourself. You're more likely to have extra to share!
Consider adding Culturally Relevant Foods
Food is an important part of culture and dignity. Depending on where you live, recipients of donated produce may be especially interested in unique varieties of produce that may not be available to them in regular store, and these may also be challenging for local food banks to source. Home gardeners can help fill this gap by growing specific culturally relevant foods.
Contact your local hunger relief partner to find out what would be appropriate for cultures in your community. For example, our partner Project Worthmore has put together this list of culturally relevant foods based on the preferences of people in their community. Your community may be especially appreciative of produce such as Asian leafy greens, tomatillos, hot peppers, or green onions.
If you're new to growing these, this guide on Growing Unique Crops for Donation may be useful to you!
Harvesting for Hunger Relief
When you're ready to harvest, here are a few things to consider when donating your freshly grown produce.
- Odd shapes and a bit of soil are ok. We appreciate that you're donating straight from the garden.
- No passengers, please! Bugs or mold can cross-contaminate other produce collected for distribution. Please rinse off produce if any else is along for the ride.
- Too much of a good thing. If you’re donating summer squash, most organizations would appreciate it being smaller than your forearm.
- HERBS! Herbs are rarely available from other donation sources, and are a great way to keep food healthy and flavorful.
- It All Adds Up. No amount is too small. Every donation adds up to make a huge difference in our community!
For more about harvesting, check out our companion blog post on Harvesting for Donation.
Not sure where/when to donate?
Fresh Food Connect's free mobile app provides all the info you need to make donating fun and easy. Connect with a local hunger relief provider, and track your impact throughout the season!
What if every gardener planted just one extra plant to share?
One small donation can have a tremendous impact. Just imagine, if every gardener planted one extra plant to share, collectively, we would have an abundant source of fresh, healthy produce available to be distributed to families experiencing food insecurity in our own communities! The free Fresh Food Connect mobile app connects you to a local hunger relief program, then manages and tracks your donations of homegrown produce throughout the season. Download the app today!