Calgary Food Bank gets boost from volunteer gardeners [Video]

The Calgary Food Bank is facing a challenge – demand for food is high, while donations are down.

Tuesday, a dedicated group of volunteer gardeners brought out the shovels and hoes to provide a much-needed boost.

The volunteers, mostly retired TransAlta employees, have been tending a nearly 1.5-acre garden east of Calgary since spring.

Now, it’s harvest time, and every single vegetable they reap will be donated to the food bank.

This single harvest is expected to yield 70,000 pounds of fresh produce, surpassing the amount collected in many citywide food drives.

The value of this donation is boosted by the fact it’s all locally grown, healthy food.

“One of the things that’s really important to us at the Calgary Food Bank is not just to provide food to those who are in need in our community, but to provide nourishing food,” said Melissa From, Calgary Food Bank CEO.

“This …