Local Business Assists Larger Area

Every donation makes an impact but sometimes, they can make a huge difference. This was the case with a recent donation of tomato plants from Buckley Brothers Inc. The Buckley staff delivered several flats of surplus tomato plants to their neighbor, Sugartree Ministries, last Wednesday afternoon. With little room in the vegetable beds at the Verizon Telecommunications building, the Sugartree Staff turned to Grow Food Grow Hope Food Distribution Coordinator, Jessica Braun, to share the abundance.

Not only was Braun and a group of garden-loving Summer Associates able to place several of the plants at Sugartree's gardens, but they also shared them with area organizations, such as the New Vienna United Methodist Church and Hope Emergency Program-a food pantry in the Lynchburg, OH area. Braun shares that, "With this donation, Buckley's not only affected Sugartree Ministries and Wilmington, but they affected the entire surrounding area."

Summer Associate, Taylor Money-Worthy, digs holes
for tomato plants at Hope Emergency Program

With the average yield of a tomato plant being between 35 and 40 pounds of fruit, these plants will allow Hope Emergency Program, New Vienna United Methodist Church, and Sugartree Ministries to distribute a huge amount of produce to their clients this growing season. Carmen Sparks, a volunteer at New Vienna UMC's food pantry, was excited not only for the tomato plants but also for the land that a local farmer was donating to plant them on. Sparks states, "we are just so blessed to be able to receive these things and share them with people." The plants were additionally given to community members who have pledged to share their bounty with the greater Clinton County community.

A spindly plant is staked in expectation of its growth
at the Verizon Telecommunications building