From the   Beginning...

So many people face hunger in our world. Children go to bed hungry. Parents worry that they can't provide for their children. Families must choose whether to buy groceries or pay the electricity bill. The pandemic made these situations even more critical. According to the USDA, there were a reported 38.3 million food-insecure people in the USA in 2020, with over 1.1 million in NJ, one-third of them children. 

Personally, the story of hunger runs very deep. Allie's great grandmother lived through a famine in Lebanon and lost two of her children to disease and starvation. Allie remembers hearing stories of the horrors her grandmother's older siblings endured. As such, it has always been her longing to ensure that every child has access to a healthy meal. With the formation of Hungry Harvest Garden and community support, she's on her way to help accomplish that goal.

In March 2022, our troop of 20 Girl Scouts began to transform 10 tired garden beds at our school into organic giving gardens. Unfortunately, the soil was not healthy enough to sustain our harvest, and the beds, which had reached the end of their lifespan, were bringing unwelcome critters. We were able to salvage the remainder of the growing season and donate our harvest to Oasis: A Haven for Women and Children, in Paterson, NJ. 

2023 ushered in a new beginning. With the support of No Child Goes Hungry and The Starfish Foundation, we purchased 10 gorgeous cedar beds from Boldly Growing. And with donations from local vendors and the support of our HSA, we filled those beds with healthy, organic soil. But none of it would've come together without helping hands. Girl Scouts from Kindergarten through 8th grade, plus Boy Scouts and friends dug in to assemble the beds, fill them with soil and seedlings, and harvest gorgeous produce. Our first harvest took place in early July 2023. In the first year, close to 500 pounds of produce was donated to Oasis. 

A true community garden nestled in the heart of Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ, the Ho-Ho-Kus Community Garden opened late May 2024. With 410 square feet of growing space bordered by a colorful pollinator garden, the Ho-Ho-Kus Community Garden invites all members of the community to sow seeds of compassion in fostering food security. This warm and welcoming space started as an idea to extend the outreach of the Ho-Ho-Kus School project to the entire community. With the support of the local town council and the very talented HHK DPW, as well as local businesses and individuals, Hungry Harvest Garden designed the garden and drew up plans for the space and the bed construction. Soon, fencing and beds were constructed, soil was added, and seedlings were planted. Little by little, this community project became a reality. 

Within just a few weeks of its opening, the Ho-Ho-Kus Community Garden became a welcoming space of learning, growth, togetherness, and collaboration. In its inaugural year, over 763 pounds of vegetables were organically grown and harvested by volunteers, of which over 700 pounds was donated to local food shelters. The remaining produce was offered to the community at seasonal farm stands.