Sharing Garden Produce & Taking On The Local Hunger Crisis
The Waynedale News’ “Take Some, Leave Some” produce stand is experiencing record foot traffic this season, continuing a tradition that began in the summer of 2022. Now in its fourth year, the community table has become a beloved local fixture, offering free fresh produce, vegetable plants, and new this year, daily replenished seed packets donated by Community Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Indiana. Local growers are encouraged to contribute surplus fruits, vegetables, and herbs, helping ensure that fresh, homegrown food reaches neighbors who can benefit. The project welcomes anyone to drop off garden bounty or pick up items they can use, with no cost, no qualifications, and no questions asked.
Located outside The Waynedale News office at 2505 Lower Huntington Road, the stand operates 24/7 throughout the growing season. An instruction sheet on site offers simple guidelines for donations, and even small contributions can make a big difference. Last year, the table often served more than thirty visitors a day, with very little left unused.
Publisher Alex Cornwell, who launched the initiative after seeing residents share excess produce on social media, said, “The stand is about more than food. It’s about learning where food comes from, growing something with your own hands, and passing that experience on to the next generation.” Cornwell continued, “It’s also about ensuring that no one in our community has to go without fresh, nutritious food.”
Food insecurity remains a pressing issue in Indiana and has worsened in recent years. In 2021, approximately 730,480 Hoosiers struggled to access enough food. By 2022, that number had risen to an estimated 950,220, nearly one in seven residents, with about one in five children affected. These statistics, drawn from Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap research and supported by reports from Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana, Community Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Indiana, and the Indiana Department of Health, underscore the importance of community-based solutions like the produce stand.
The stand is an unofficial seasonal extension of Forward Indiana’s year-round community food pantry program, which operates throughout Fort Wayne. Since fresh produce cannot be stored in pantries due to spoilage concerns, the stand offers an ideal way to share perishable goods during peak harvest months.
As part of its mission to strengthen local connections, The Waynedale News encourages residents to plant a little extra in their gardens with the stand in mind, sharing the abundance when harvest time arrives. The Waynedale News is an organization that believes there should be no income barrier to news, entertainment, or access to knowledge about community resources for those who may need it. Similarly, it is proud to help facilitate access to delicious, nutritious, local produce that has been grown and given with care. Updates on the stand are available throughout the season at facebook.com/WaynedaleNews .
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