Community gardening initiative returns to the Quad Cities for a second year

After a successful inaugural year, a collaborative gardening initiative is returning to the Quad Cities to help fight food and nutrition insecurity.

GIFT Gardens (Growing Illowa Food Together) is a collaborative effort from Tapestry Farms, River Bend Food Bank, University of Illinois Extension and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. Its goal is to get local residents growing and donating fresh produce to area food pantries.

Individuals, families and organizations are asked to plant a few extra pots on their patio or an extra row of produce in their garden that can then be donated to those in need.

During the first year of the program in 2025, organizers said over 80 growers collectively donated 64,063 pounds of fresh produce to 18 different pantries and community sites in the QCA. Donations ranged from 20 pounds of tomatoes in East Moline to thousands of pounds of produce grown in a community garden in north Davenport.

As the planting season gets underway, GIFT Gardens organizers are once again asking for community members to participate in the program. Growers will have access to orientation sessions, connections to local pantries and gardening support throughout the season.

Those interested in participating must register. That can be done online here. Once the produce is grown and harvested, growers will need to weigh and record how much they are donating.

“Opportunities like the GIFT Gardens initiative are vital to River Bend Food Bank because they strengthen our local food supply at a time when many food banks are experiencing uncertainty,” River Bend Food Bank CEO Chris Ford said in a press release. “Changes to state and federal nutrition programs can make it harder to keep shelves stocked with healthy options. By empowering community members to grow and share fresh produce, GIFT Gardens helps fill some of these gaps. This ensures families across the Quad Cities continue to have access to healthy food and that River Bend Food Bank can remain resilient and responsive to its neighbors.”