Dauphin County farm working to feed thousands through 'victory gardens'
Lower Paxton Township--A local non-profit who's mission is to grow food for veterans is working to feed thousands locally.
It's giving people the tools to create 'victory gardens.'
Hundreds have traveled to Milk & Honey Farms for one thing: free vegetable seeds.
"There’s corn, there’s green bean, there’s peas, radishes, beets we're even throwing flowers in," said Tim Wallace. He's the owner and executive director.
He explained victory gardens were a way for families to keep food on the table during times of crisis like war.
Wallace plants crops on his five acre farm to supply military families with produce through the Pennsylvania Food Bank.
"When the pandemic came around, we found not only are we still able to do our mission, but we are going to have to expand it."
That's how they came up with the free seeds. About two thousand people have dropped by for a bag.
"It’s hard to find good produce right now," said Laura Drake. She believes this will be a great education experience for her children and get them out doors.
Her kids are feeling the cabin fever of quarantine.
"My daughter keeps asking to go and she misses her friends at preschool," Drake said. "We go out in the yard pretty much as far as we go, kind of hard they don’t want to do that anymore."
Wallace says gardens take time to flourish and it's hard work, but it will pay off especially if the pandemic continues.
"We have an option to grow some of our own food to help meet some of those food needs, and help alleviate the food banks so they don’t get overrun."
Milk & Honey Farm is working on planting their seeds right now. They typically donate 2 to 3 thousand pounds of vegetables to the food bank.
They're posting seed distribution days on their Facebook page.Click here to learn more.