I recently found out that some local churches are running a small soup kitchen, and giving homeless people a place to stay. I was thinking of planting a garden to give them some produce to be able to use. Would I have to be inspected by the health department or anyone to be able to do this?

Also my church offered me the use of some of it's property in the past to use for a garden, but I doubt there is a ready water source. I have never seen a water spicket on the outside of a church . I am trying to devise in my head a way to capture rain water in sort of a mini water tower. Anyone have thoughts or suggestions?

Jason

Jason -
Most churches do have an outside water source, and if that area was used as a garden before, ask around; I'm sure there is an answer on the water question.
I've brought produce into churches, a nursing home and soup kitchens. It makes better reception if you tell the organization what you intend to do before you show up with food, but most are more than happy to take it off your hands, no questions asked, - but again, if they know who you are, the easier things are.
The hardest people to give free food away to, and I don't understand, is food banks. Yes, I know that perishable goods are not favoured, but I know for a fact our local one has refrigeration for dairy. It seems if it doesn't come from a grocery store, it is not wanted.
Good for you, though, trying to do a good turn for others. :^O

Jason,

They'll have a spigot somewhere, just ask them. You may have to run a long line (hose) but they'll have one. You can also just set up barrels to capture rainwater. Do this anyway for additional water because if they're urban or suburban they are paying for every drop of water used. If they're on their own well water in the boonies, their capacity may have its limits, especially in long runs of dry weather. Keep the barrels covered and disturb the water surface every day to kill mosquito eggs.

Talk to them as well about health regs., if there are any governing what you'd like to do. They'll know. Most churches have full kitchens which are used at least once in awhile to feed the public or volunteers and are thus licensed for food service. Regulations, and requirements for licensing, vary state by state and sometimes county by county. The churches you wish to work with will be able to tell you how much latitude you all have.

Go for it, excellent ideas.

Thanks for the suggestions, and thanks for telling me how to spell spigot :^O . I was trying to figure that out.

I was going to contact the church to see what they would like specifically. I was thinking of green beans and peas because of how much they produce. Perhaps carrots and lettuce sooner? I am still thinking that part through as our last frost date isn't until May 30th :_| .

The property was actually an orchard before. There are some trees still up there. I was thinking of catching rain water with barrels, but I am trying to figure out an easy way to distribute the water. I was trying to think of some type of valve to put in 50 gallon plastic barrels we have. I was also considering raising them up so that gravity will allow the water out. Any thoughts?

Jason

Jason, I can't help you with your water problem, but would it really be necessary to water where you live? If your average rainfall is similar to Iowa, I wouldn't even bother with it. If you mulch heavily, the ground will retain more moisture eliminating the need for alot of extra water.

Dry periods are good for plants, they have to develop longer root systems to "look" for moisure, and this makes the plants stronger. They will hold up under adverse conditions better, like wind and dry conditions. Given too much surface moisture they will develop roots that tend to stay closer to the surface and will come to depend on that source.

Some other things I would plant: potatoes, tomatoes, onions and winter squash, like buttercup or butternut, and cukes. I would stay away from lettuce and leafy crops, alot of people don't like them. Sticking to the basics would probably extend the greatest benefit to the people you are helping.

Good luck with your project, keep us posted. :x

Jason,

There is a program called Plant a Row For the Hungry that is nationwide. I believe some posters here participate.

Another thing you could do is contact your local farmers' market and see if they are giving their extra food to a soup kitchen. if they are not, volunteer to cart the food away at the end of the day to the facility that takes food for the poor (if they are volunteer to help anyway).

The markets I am associated with are starting up such a program and we desperately need someone to come and get the food and take it to the food bank.

A cheap and good rain barrel is the insides of hot water heaters and water softeners. if you see either by the side of the road take it and cannabalize it for the good parts.

Good luck to you

I posted here half an hour ago, but it didn't show up, where did it go? I've been having that trouble off and on here.

Anyway, Jason, do you really need to worry about watering alot on this plot? If your average rainfall is enough, you may not.

Mulching heavily will conserve whatever moisture is in the ground and save you alot of trouble. Most plants will benefit from dry spells, they will extend roots deeper looking for moisture. Constantly watered plants will not find this necessary and will keep roots closer to the surface. Deeper roots mean stronger plants, able to tolerate windy and dry conditions. Continual watering will make them dependent on that source.

As for crops, I would stay away from leafy veggies, alot of people don't like them. The old stand-by staples like potatoes, tomatoes, beans, carrots, cukes, onions, corn and winter squash would probably be the most benefit to the people you are helping.

Good luck with your project, let us know how it goes. Will you be having any help with this?

I think our average rainfall is for the most part good enough to get most gardens through. The water is just in case. I keep a rain guage to make sure it gets an inch a week or so. I read that one good weekly soaking is better than several light waterings so I was hoping to be able to provide the one good soaking a week.

As for help, I am approaching it a solo thing, and praying that others will help out. I have already had an offer by a gentleman to till for me, but I don't really need that. My biggest thing is helping in weeding and harvesting. I am planning on mulching with straw this year so that should help with the weeding. I personally think harvesting things like green beans to be rather tedious. As this being really my second year gardening I have never tried pole beans. I was thinking of trying that this year.

I was going to talk to the people running the kitchen for preference on what to grow. Thanks for the encouragement and suggestions.

Jason

I don't know if the Health Dept would allow this, but in California we have a lot of droughts, and we cut the downspout from the roof at barrel height and let the rain water from the roof run into the barrels, fashion a spigot into the barrel, run a hose out with a spray handle on the end, or some stopper, and use it when needed. This isn't exactly gray water, and it shouldn't be used for anything other than plants, but you get a ton of water that way!

Catching rain water was definately an idea we were planning on. I am trying to figure out how to attatch a spigot. I just had the idea of picking up one of those air pressure sprayers, but that seems like it would take a long time to water the whole garden. Any ideas?

Jason

You can get a plastic fitting from a tank company, usually 5/8th I think is the standard size. There are two halves to it, one on the inside, one on the outside, you screw them together through a hole you drill on the side of the barrel, near the bottom. It has a threaded receptacle that you screw a valve into. There are large plastic valves in the sprinkler dept of the hardware store you thread into the receptacle. Then you attach the hose to the valve.

We use drip irrigation, 1/2 inch tubing that has drippers at each plant. It's about $10 for 100 feet. Since you don't have much pressure coming from the barrel (unless you can garden below the level of the barrel, which would be necessary to some degree to make sure the water flows out of the barrel) if you make tiny ice pick holes in the tubing at each plant, it will leak out, instead of putting the official drippers on there, because they need the 60 lbs of pressure you get with city water behind them. Make sure the barrel is clean and debris doesn't clog up your dripper holes. There are little filters you can put in the line, but you have to keep them clean.

There's only about 40 gallons of water in the barrel, so it's not going to do the whole garden at once, but one barrel would do about 100 feet of tubing, giving plants 12 inches apart some water. Be sure to mulch your garden well so you don't lose moisture.

But now that I have mine set up, I turn one valve and water 400 feet at a time.

the reason it's hard to give food away to food banks is because of all the regs they have to follow.

my mom started one awhile back out in Odessa, TX and it was very complicated.

Wow thank you for the info. It is exactly what I was looking for.

Jason

One clarification, just in case. I have a 2400 gallon water tank way up the hill that allows me to water 400 feet at once. I don't do it out of wine barrels

Bump