FWPAR
Fort Worth Plant a Row for the Hungry (FWPAR) is a campaign that allows gardeners from across the Fort Worth / Dallas area to share their harvest with the less fortunate in our community.  Local gardeners are encouraged to grow extra produce, which is donated to local food pantries.  FWPAR is affiliated with the nationwide campaign, Plant a Row for the Hungry.

ABOUT PAR
Plant a Row for the Hungry (PAR) is a public service campaign of the Garden Writers Association of America (GWAA). Its goals are to raise a million pounds of garden produce for the hungry by the millennium, and to establish a PAR network in every US state and Canadian province. Launched in 1995 and joined in 1999 by title sponsor Home & Garden Television (HGTV), one of the fastest growing cable networks with over 50 million viewers, PAR has been endorsed by gardening organizations such as Master Gardeners, the American Community Gardening Association, the National Garden Bureau, The American Nurserymen and Landscapers Association, and by the Scotts Company, SunGro, Safe Science, Inc. and hundreds of seedsmen and nurseries. Visit our web site (www.gwaa.org) and click on the PAR row marker.

History of PAR

In 1994, Jeff Lowewnfels, then President of the Garden Writers Association of America (GWAA), shared with the Association's Board of Directors his experience of a grass roots campaign to feed the hungry in his home town of Anchorage, Alaska. The campaign, Plant A Row for Bean's Café (a local soup kitchen) called on gardeners to plant an extra row of vegetables and to deliver it to a distribution center in their community. The Board voted to initiate a PAR campaign through its members. Jacqueline Heriteau, author of books and articles on gardening, was appointed Chair and Coordinator.

1995-YEAR 1:
GWAA launched the Plant A Row concept through press releases and features addressed to newspapers, syndicates, magazines, radio, and TV. Garden Editor Joan Jackson, backed by The San Jose Mercury News, attracted over 34,000 pounds of PAR donations by publishing pledge sheets and drop-off sites, and by getting food banks to record PAR donations so she could keep PAR progress before her readers. Jacqui Heriteau gives a progress report in each edition of the GWAA newsletter, the Quill & Trowel.

1996-YEAR 2:
Newspapers, garden magazines and radio spread the word. Ferry Morse Seeds teamed up with Hard Rock Cafes to distribute kits coast to coast consisting of seeds and how-to information. Ferry Morse manned an 800 number for four months giving local drop-off sites. Other seedsmen and nurseries helped budding PAR field networks to fill and give away starter kits that included local drop-off sites. Sears sponsored a 10-store PAR campaign in Ohio.

1997-YEAR 3:
PAR reports increased in newspapers, magazines, radio and local TV. Missouri Master Gardeners Denny Schrock and Rick Werner organized the state and raised about 25,000 pounds of produce. Tisa Overman in Milwaukee organized the city, working with a field network headed by people from the Second Harvest food bank, print, radio and TV companies, with Milorganite $$ funding starter kits, etc.

PAR was officially endorsed by Master Gardeners, and by the Community Gardening Association of America.  America The Beautiful agrees to provide seeds for PAR groups

1998-YEAR 4:
Support in print, radio and TV grew. Jacqui Heriteau announces a new PAR goal: A Million for the Millennium. GWAA Past President Jim Wilson's 22 1/2-minute PAR video was enthusiastically received by field networks and their TV stations. News of the PAR initiative attracted requests for information from individuals and groups outside GWAA. To meet demand, GWAA provides Jacqui with associate Holly B. Hunter to help with mailings and network contact. By year's end, field networks and start-up projects were established in 24 states and 3 provinces.

1999-YEAR 5:
Support in print, radio and TV continues to widen. HGTV joins GWAA as media sponsor of Plant A Row. The Disney Institute sponsors Plant A Row events at the Orlando teaching gardens. $$ support from The Scotts Company and the National Garden Bureau allows expansion of the program. Heriteau is named Director. PAR has field networks established or starting in 33 states and 3 Canadian provinces. PAR staffs a toll free number: 877-GWAA-PAR. New GWAA web site features a PAR logo and lots of background information (www.gwaa.org).
 

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