DATE:     8/25/00
CONTACTS: Dr. Larry Kowalski, (864) 260-5075
          Claude Smith, (864) 232-4431
          Joe Maples, (864) 576-3319         
WRITER:   Diane Palmer, (864) 656-4741
  
Clemson Extension helps 
Plant A Row for Hungry
  
     CLEMSON - More than 35 million people in our country 
face hunger often, if not daily, according to the U.S. Conference 
of Mayors' study on hunger and homelessness.  
     The Garden Writers Association of America (GWAA) decided 
to do something about that. In 1995 they launched a Plant a 
Row for the Hungry (PAR) campaign.  
     The concept is simple. The PAR program asks home gardeners 
to plant an extra row in their garden and donate the harvest 
to their local soup kitchen or food bank.
     The Clemson Extension Service in Anderson, Greenville and
Spartanburg counties has gotten into the action. 
     The PAR program in Anderson County operates through the 
Junior Master Gardener program at the School District 5 
Project Challenge research garden site in Anderson.
     Project Challenge is a program for gifted and talented 
students in grades 3-5. Larry Kowalski is the science program
coordinator and instructor for Project Challenge. He oversees 
the research garden site.  
     Kowalski implemented the first Junior Master Gardener 
curriculum in the state in cooperation with Fafard Industries 
of Anderson County.
     "It is a pleasure to work with Larry and see his 
gardening projects 'blossom and grow' in many ways in the 
community," said Janet Ensor, Clemson Extension agent and 
Anderson County Master Gardener program coordinator.
     The fourth grade Junior Master Gardeners at the 
Project Challenge research garden have already donated 
500 pounds of vegetables to the Haven of Rest Ministries. 
Last year 15 students from Project Challenge helped serve 
meals at Haven of Rest on Thanksgiving Day.
     The Anderson County Master Gardeners also assist in 
program teaching activities and hands-on work in the 
garden.
     In 1999 the Greenville County Master Gardeners started 
PAR in the backyard of Project Host Soup Kitchen in downtown
Greenville. 
     Project Host serves an average of 200 people daily, 
six days a week. More than 1,200 pounds of vegetables were 
grown in the garden last year to help feed the hungry.
     The garden was completely funded by donations. Bon 
Secours St. Francis Hospital underwrote a grant to provide 
fencing and tools and Bonnie Plants, a wholesale nursery 
in Spartanburg, agreed to provide vegetable plant material.
     Fafard Industries of Anderson also agreed to provide 
soil conditioners and fertilizers. Individuals and local 
nurseries donated tomato cages, mulch and flowering plants 
that were used to make a beautiful border garden along the 
street side of the vegetable garden to enhance the 
appearance.   
     Two additional PAR gardens have been started in the 
Greenville area. A church youth group in Simpsonville 
and the other by an Eastside Greenville Girl Scout troop. 
The Greenville County School District has also expressed 
an interest in developing a high school age volunteer
group to work in the garden this school year.
     The Spartanburg County PAR garden, on the grounds 
of Spartanburg Technical College, has been in operation 
since 1996.  
     The Spartanburg County Master Gardeners, under the 
direction of Joe Maples, program director for the Master 
Gardener Association of the Piedmont, maintains the garden. 
They donated 600 pounds of fresh vegetables to their local 
soup kitchens the first year.
     That rose in 1997 to 3,700 pounds, 6,652 pounds in 
1998 and 5,350 pounds in 1999. By August they were more 
than half way to this year's goal of 10,000 pounds.
     The primary recipient of PAR produce is the Second 
Presbyterian Church soup kitchen, which serves a midday 
meal each day to as many as 400 people.
     The Downtown Rescue Mission and the Spartanburg 
Children's Shelter also receive PAR produce.
     Fafard Industries donated the soil conditioners. 
Bonnie Plants donated all the vegetable plants. Johnny's 
Seeds donated seeds, and Cooley and Cash Farms donated 
fruits. Some Master Gardeners donate from their own 
private gardens, as well.
     In 1999 Home & Garden Television (HGTV) joined 
with GWAA as the national media sponsor of PAR. It has 
been endorsed by an increasing number of companies and 
organizations such as Master Gardeners, the American 
Community Gardening Association, the National Garden 
Bureau, the American Nurserymen and Landscapers Association, 
the Scotts Company, SunGro, Safe Science Inc., and hundreds 
of seedsmen and nurseries.  
     The sponsoring Garden Writers Association of America 
has a toll-free number that offers advice, free row markers 
and more.  Call GWA at (877) 492-2727 or call your local 
Clemson Extension office for more information.
                              END