Fresh Local Produce Shines in Our Community Market

Making sure our neighbors get the food they need really is a community effort! We’re grateful for all the folks in our community who come together to share food including fresh produce with our shoppers. Right now, some of the freshest fruits and vegetables come from local P-Patches that have shared about 3,000 pounds with our shoppers so far this season.

Seattle’s P-Patch Community Gardening Program celebrated 50 years in 2023. Ballard Food Bank receives fresh produce donations from about a dozen different P-Patches, including weekly pickups from Ballard P-Patch and Interbay P-Patch during the summer!

Fresh produce from local P-Patches in the community market

Many of the garden locations have a Giving Garden set aside to grow for food banks and individual gardeners also share from their plots. The Interbay P-Patch has large pink sticks that growers can use to flag that their items are ready to harvest and donate while they’re on vacation or may not be able to harvest and use the full crop. This visual signal works well for growers with a language barrier or those who may not feel comfortable contacting the office to coordinate harvest.

These hyperlocal veggies and fruits are popular with shoppers. Over the course of the past few months, we’ve had herbs of all sorts, lettuce, spinach, bok choy, mustard greens, beets, beans, peas and more. Earlier in the spring, gardeners also shared seedlings for people who want to grow their own vegetables!

One of our values at Ballard Food Bank is that we are stewards of the land. We aim to minimize our environmental footprint, promote sustainability, and support local farmers and communities to grow their own food. We’re so grateful for how P-Patch and home gardeners come together to share the bounty so there can be enough for everyone!