Got produce?
Grow for Gather
Have produce to share?
We encourage our friends and neighbors to share the bounty of their home gardens with Gather members. Providing healthy food options is central to Gather’s mission and with the support of our community members, we will be able to offer even more nutritious, fresh options of fruit and vegetables in our Pantry Market! Please drop off any produce during our regular donation hours.
Growing Fresh Produce
Gather manages gardens in Portsmouth, the Chase Home, YMCA, and Timberland in Stratham. We grow fresh produce from April to November which is delivered to Gather for use in our culinary programs, pantry, and mobile markets
We produced more than 3,000 pounds of Gather Grown produce this year, allowing us to provide local, healthy choices in our pantry and mobile markets, and integrate nutritious ingredients in our prepared meals.
We are excited to have received a greenhouse at the Chase Home this year, meaning that we will be able to extend our growing season next year and produce even more nutritious food for our community!
Want to volunteer in the Gather gardens? Contact us!
Gleaning Initiatives
Gleaning is the recovery of fresh produce from farms that would otherwise go to waste. This produce is still healthy and safe to eat, but does not meet the specifications of size, color, or shape for sale, or is excess that the farmer is unable to sell.
Gather facilitates NH Gleans, a statewide network of community organizations that partner with farms to harvest or recover this food, amounting to over 200,000 pounds of food across all partners in 2022.
Gather partners with farms throughout the Seacoast region to receive produce donations from farms, and sending volunteers and staff to harvest produce and redistribute it in our markets or repurpose it into delicious prepared meals.
Interested in offering a gleaning opportunity? Or have a group interested in volunteering?
Contact our Gardening and Gleaning Manager, Ally Lynch at alynch@gathernh.org
Coming in 2026: Gather Demonstration Gardens
Gather is excited to be launching an educational gardening program for the spring of 2026!
The demonstration gardens will provide members with the opportunity to gain hands on experience planting, growing, and harvesting their own produce in Gather’s own raised beds, located on site at our pantry market.
Students will grow produce of their choice with the guidance of professional staff and passionate volunteers, which they will be able to take home with them after harvest! Students will also have access to classroom-style lessons on various aspects of home gardening, including how to build and maintain raised gardening beds at low or no cost.
This program aims to give our members the knowledge and skills that they need to be successful at growing nutritious food for their families at home, hoping to offset the cost of organic healthy produce during the growing season.