Grow & Give
Partnering for hunger relief in Colorado
Each year, about one in four households struggle with food insecurity.
Grow & Give was created by CSU Extension in 2020 to help educate home gardeners on how to grow in Colorado while connecting their backyard produce with Coloradans in need. The program helps gardeners learn how to grow fruits and vegetables at home or in their community, with an emphasis on growing extra to give locally.
Ready to pitch in? With the help of Fresh Food Connect, we’re linking Colorado gardeners to local community organizations.
Why Donate?
Each year, roughly 1 in 10 people in the US experiences food insecurity, yet 40% of our food is wasted. At the same time, 1 in 3 US households grows food at home or in community gardens.
What to Grow for Donation
Leafy greens, tomatoes, and peppers are always in demand, but many types of produce can be donated, including fruit, hardy veggies like carrots, and staples like potatoes, onions, and winter squash. See FAQ for more details.
How to Donate
CSU Extension is proud to partner with Fresh Food Connect. The free Fresh Food Connect mobile app helps gardeners track and manage homegrown produce donations to support local hunger relief.
Before You Donate
Prior to donating, please follow the steps in our Safe Produce Guide to help reduce the risk of contamination of fresh produce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Anyone who grows their own produce is welcome to participate.
Although all produce is appreciated, please consider donating produce that is:
- Edible raw with no prep
- Shelf stable (long or moderate shelf life)
- Hard-to-find and/or costly to purchase at a store
Always in demand produce includes:
- Tomatoes: Any size, any variety, ripe or green
- Leafy Greens: Lettuce, spinach, kale, chard
- Peppers: Both sweet and hot varieties
Culturally relevant produce includes:
- Specialty greens: Sweet potato greens, collards, bok choy, napa cabbage, etc.
- Specialty veggies: Tomatillos, okra, bittermellon, etc.
- Herbs: Cilantro, basil, mint, thyme, etc.
Accessible and non-traditional living produce includes:
- Fruit: Apples, pears, peaches, grapes, berries, etc.
- Hardy Veggies: Carrots, celery, beets, etc.
- Staples: Potatoes, onions, winter squash, etc.
CSU Extension partners with Fresh Food Connect for the Grow & Give program. The free Fresh Food Connect mobile app helps gardeners track and manage homegrown produce donations to support local hunger relief.
Fresh garden produce is an excellent gift to share but surfaces of fruits and vegetables can harbor microorganisms that cause illness. Following the steps in our Safe Produce Guide will help reduce the risk of contamination of fresh produce.
Yes! Please do! We know there are passionate gardeners who would donate if they knew where and when produce could be donated. And we know there are other food equity and food justice groups that are doing amazing work in Colorado. Help us connect these pieces of our larger statewide food system together – share this site with your gardening friends, family, church, school, etc. Everyone is welcome to join the effort!
You can read more about the relevance, response, results, and funding of the Grow & Give program at Land Grant Impacts.
In 2024, Fresh Food Connect donations helped increase healthy food access for 47,800 individuals
This effort included the support of 4,300 gardeners in 16 states who donated 85,000+ pounds of homegrown produce through the Fresh Food Connect mobile app. This supported 71,000 healthy meals and saved $427,000 in grocery dollars.
Explore resources
Looking for helpful information on gardening?
CSU Extension has you covered with a wide array of science-based resources and helpful articles on topics ranging from soil health to plant selection to pest management.
Need help?
Contact us with questions or for more information.