Members of the Garden Project group at the North Pocono Public Library (NPPL) are proud to announce a record-setting harvest of fresh vegetables to the local food pantry in North Pocono — 1,743 pounds of fresh produce was harvested this summer/fall by 28 dedicated volunteers who planted, weeded, watered, picked, and weighed the varied crops scattered among the 21 raised beds behind the library.

The crops donated to the food pantry included potatoes, beans, lettuce, cabbage, onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, just to name a few. This year’s impressive crop yield was 519 pounds more than in 2022.

Ed Gorke, a volunteer for both the Garden Project and the Food Pantry summed it up best, “We donate over 50 pounds a week to the food pantry. We also teach our ‘Dig-It’ gardening classes every summer, plus our Apprentice and Pollinator Gardens have flourished. The needs of the food pantry grew, and we are very happy to contribute.”

The North Pocono Food Pantry, led by Beth Czulada and Rosemary Serena, is open to the public on Thursdays from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., plus on the first Wednesday of the month from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. “The Food Pantry is open to anyone in need in the North Pocono School District,” said Ms. Czulada. “We serve around 240 families per month. We are so grateful to the Garden Project volunteers for providing us with fresh vegetables to give to the families.”

The North Pocono Public Library is located at 1315 Church Street, in Moscow, PA (right off the Route 380 Moscow Exit). The vegetable garden is located right behind the library. Parking is available in the library lot.

For more info, contact Chris Kelly, Development Director, North Pocono Public Library at 570-498-0678 or [email protected], or visit www.lclshome.org/north to learn more about the Garden Project and what the NPPL offers the community.

Source: timesleader.com