Gardens for Good volunteers work to fight hunger by "turning lawns into food production"

A team of backyard gardeners in Massachusetts is working to help feed their neighbors.

On a warm late autumn day, June Mackenzie and Elena Polenka of Woburn, Massachusetts, were getting their hands dirty in a small patch in the city's community garden. It was a perfect day to tend to the last cold weather crops of the season. "We've got bok choy, these are beets and this is carrots," Mackenzie said, pointing to the few remaining plants that are still growing in the garden.

They are volunteers for Gardens for Good, a collection of 15 gardens in Winchester, Woburn, Arlington and Medford.  All of the food they grow is donated to two local nonprofits, the Woburn Council for Social Concern in Woburn and the EnKa Society in Winchester. Both have food pantries which provide much-needed groceries to residents in need.

"We are turning lawns into food production," explained Fred Yen, the executive director of the Winchester Farmers Market Community Hub, which oversees the program. 

Homeowners donate space in their yards and volunteers help build out the garden plots and tend to the crops.  The program also teaches new volunteers about regenerative gardening, which improves the health of the soil and benefits local wildlife.  The result is hundreds of pounds of fresh, organically grown produce for the pantries.  "We are getting close to 2,000 pounds [of food] annually," Yen said.

The gardens provide the freshest vegetables to pantries that are often filled with processed food that is easily donated and shelf stable. "In the long run, it's not very healthy," Yen said.

Volunteers like Mackenzie get to do what they love, while helping people in their communities. "It's really gratifying, and it's good for your mental health.  You just feel great after spending a couple of hours here," she said.

Gardens for Good is always looking for help from experienced gardeners or novices who are willing to dig, weed, or transport produce.  And if you've got some unused land in your yard, they'll find a way to put it to good use.

Food insecurity is a growing problem in Massachusetts. WBZ is teaming up with Wegmans to shine a light on efforts to fight hunger.