Today’s Seattle Times had an interesting article by Janet I. Tu, “‘New normal’ Food banks much busier, despite better economy” that talks about the increasing number of visits to local food banks. While a lot of people think the economy has mostly recovered during last few years, this article provides some alarming statistics including: “In the Seattle area, some food banks are getting more visits now than they did during the recession. At the 27 food pantries in the Seattle Food Committee coalition, the number of visits (including delivery of food to homes) went up from 928,656 in 2007 to 1.1 million in 2009 and to nearly 1.4 million last…

We’ve met involved gardeners with the food and faith initiative these last couple of years. Sometimes the folks are growing food for the public food banks, sometimes supporting their own kitchen-based feeding programs. More information about the these groups (and resources for starting or for maintaining your own) can be found on Seattle Tilth’s site. The Food and Faith Initiative provides support for faith-based organizations who want to grow veggies: including information about incorporating food gardening into existing ministries, education and training for congregations, ongoing technical support, guidance on volunteer engagement that will sustain these gardens for many years.