Otter Tail County urges gardeners to plant extra for food shelves

An extra row in a backyard garden could mean more tomatoes, beans and zucchini on local tables later this summer as Otter Tail County pushes its Grow an Extra Row campaign. County public health officials say the effort is built around a simple idea: plant a little more than your household needs, then donate the surplus to food shelves when harvest season arrives.

“Many gardeners end up with more produce than they can use,” said Jason Bergstrand. County officials are urging residents to turn that excess into meals for neighbors by focusing on crops that are easy to grow, easy to share and useful for food shelves, including tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, peppers and beans.

To help people get started, free tomato and pepper plants, along with seed potatoes, will be available during the week of May 11 at the Mehl Center and the Fergus Falls Library. Supplies for the giveaway are being provided by Lake Region Takes Root Community Garden, which says its work is tied to Lake Region Healthcare’s commitment to wellness and preventive health care. Residents who want to donate later in the season can use a QR code or webpage to find food shelf locations and drop-off times, making it easier to give produce where it can be used right away.

The timing matters. Fresh fruits and vegetables are among the items food shelves most often need, but they are also among the hardest to keep stocked, especially as families face higher prices and program cuts. In Minnesota, 9.1% of households experienced food insecurity in 2023, and people made nearly 9 million food shelf visits in 2024, a record that shows how much pressure the emergency food system is under.

Otter Tail County’s need is sharpened by its demographics. The county has about 60,475 residents, a median age of 46.2 and about 26.6% of residents age 65 and older. In a largely rural county, county leaders say access to healthy food is central to quality of life, and their SHIP materials tie that goal to healthier food environments and more access to fresh, local fruits and vegetables.

Lake Region Takes Root has already shown what that can look like in practice. A University of Minnesota Conservancy record says the project supplied 313 families with fresh produce in its first year and worked with the Fergus Falls Community Food Shelf, Women, Infants and Children, Matthew House and A Place to Belong. Otter Tail County also points residents to SNAP, a county-run, federally funded program that helps low-income Minnesotans buy food. Together, the campaign and the food-assistance system point to the same goal: make healthy food local, seasonal and easier to share.