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AGAR Receives $10K from Mrs. Green’s Natural Market

From NJ.com

America’s Grow-A-Row hopes to change the lives of thousands of underprivileged people — one vegetable at a time.

The nonprofit in Hunterdon County, teams up with food banks, food pantries, free-farm markets and other organizations and individuals to reach out to areas across the state that do not have easy and affordable access to fresh produce.

Since its founding in 2002, Grow-A-Row has donated more than 2 million pounds of fruits and vegetables.

“Our focus is to get as much fruits and vegetables to those folks that are hungry,” said founder and President Chip Paillex.

Mrs. Green’s Natural Market in West Windsor recently made a $10,000 donation to help Grow-A-Row achieve its goal of providing healthy lives to everyone, regardless of income or residency. Paillex said the donation will help the organization, which currently reaches nearly 150,000 people, expand.

“The more funding we receive, the more we’re able to plant and then of course distribute,” he said, explaining that Grow-A-Row’s 2014 goal is to distribute 1.2 million pounds of fresh produce to charities and organizations across the state.

Grow-A-Row not only distributes fresh produce, it also teaches clients about the benefits of harvesting the foods.

The foundation offers programs that organize people living in “food deserts” to come out to their farms and plant their own produce in a community garden. This makes participants more aware of where their food comes from, which could lead to healthier choices at home.

“It’s about educating all walks of life about where that food comes from,” Paillex said.

Volunteers interested in the project also can come out to the farm and get their hands dirty for a good cause.

From large corporations seeking to make an investment to individuals who want to experience the world of farming to make a change, the organization welcomes all forms of help.

Those interested can find more information at americasgrowarow.org.

Contact Brielle Urciuoli at gurciuoli@njtimes.com.