home & garden: Food Gatherers welcomes harvest donations, including green tomatoes

This time of year, gardens may still be producing kale, broccoli, turnips, collards, squash and even tomatoes, if those were covered during the frost episodes. Peas, lettuces, and beans may also be available if a second crop were planted.

Food Gatherers will take them all. I was particularly interested to find out that Food Gatherers will accept any amount of red or green tomatoes that are not bruised or damaged. Gardeners who want to clear out the beds can sort and wash tomatoes, and then take them to Food Gatherers for distribution.

Food Gatherers accepts drop off donations of any fresh garden produce at the Food Gatherers' warehouse Monday through Friday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. They will weigh your produce upon donation; it’s always neat to see how much you have grown yourself that you can afford to share.

Keep in mind that Food Gatherers accepts donations of fresh home-grown produce throughout the gardening season. Some gardeners participate in the Plant a Row program, and then they designate garden space to growing food to help the hungry.

Jim and Janice Leach tend a backyard plot in downtown Ann Arbor, where they try to grow as many vegetables and other plants as possible. For the last five years, they've published gardening tips, photos and stories at their 20 Minute Garden website.