Port Children’s Center to host ‘Plant A Row’

Sarah Minkewicz

The Port Washington Children’s Center will be taking part in the Plant A Row for the Hungry campaign where more than 100 children will get the chance to plant their own vegetable pots and kick off the 2016 growing season.

The event takes place at 4 p.m. on April 25 at the Children’s Center, located at 232 Main Street in Port Washington. 

This year marks the Children’s Center’s fourth year in participating in Plant A Row, which is a national program that aims to delivery fresh produce to the needy in communities throughout the country, according to its website. 

Plant a Row in Port Washington chief vegetable garden executive Marvin Makofsky said he started the program in 2010 to communicate the need for homeowners and gardeners to contribute a portion of what they grow for distribution to families that can’t afford the high cost of vegetables.

“I have lived with my family in Port Washington for over 30 years and have been an avid gardener of flower and vegetables,” Makofsky said. “My family has been involved in social action activities for decades. I have been aware of the many food drives that are an active part of our community most of the food collected is of the non-perishable variety, that while worthwhile does not contribute to a great deal of nutritional value.”

Makofsky said all the vegetables planted at the event will go home with the children.

“Many of the children come from needy families,” she said. “This year we have designed a super sized display that will contain over 20 planter pots and the children will fill them all.”

Makofsky said that over the past three years more than 10,000 pounds of produce were delivered to those in need.

“From day one, the Port community has been inspiring in the way it has responded, ” Makofsky said, adding that a team of more than 15 people joined the program to deliver the food around the community. 

Plant A Row in Port Washington has also teamed up with churches and synagogues where the children participated in planting their own vegetables into small pots to take home. 

“Many people who have participated in our program have been invited to engage with the children and become volunteers for future events,” Makofsky said. “Our objective is to inspire everyone in the community to get involved in our program that has a dramatic need to overcome a problem that is almost an epidemic in our country. Religious leaders and elected officials have been invited to attend. Many have responded with great enthusiasm.”

Plant a Row has reached out to various facilities, including the Children’s Center as well as local synagogues and churches, to educate children and even provide them with their own small, individual planters to bring home in hopes of encouraging them to start their own garden with their families, according to Plant a Row officials.

Plant a Row officials they  have already engaged over 950 local children. 

Plant a Row officials said they expect that the children will use this knowledge to educate their families and continue donating throughout their lives.

“Our goal is to reach the entire communities children and their families to appreciate home grown vegetables as well as to take advantage of the opportunity to be generous to families in need that can not afford the prices of our store purchased foo,” Makofsky said. 

Business owners who want to get involved in Plant a Row’s program by purchasing a painted pot can order one at Bayles Garden Center, located at 88 S Bayles Ave. in Port Washington for $90. Each pot comes with soil and vegetable seedlings and is fully decorated by Port Washington artists.

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