We sat down with Chip Paillex, founder and president of America’s Grow-A-Row, a grantee of The Tepper Foundation, to share the latest on the incredible work they’re doing to fight food insecurity in New Jersey and beyond.
Can you tell us about how America’s Grow-A-Row got started?
Chip: When I first moved to Hunterdon County in 2001, I was immediately inspired by the rural landscape around me and fell in love with agriculture. One day, I saw that a local farm was offering wildly inexpensive plots of land for rent, so I jumped on the opportunity and dove into my passion for gardening. That year, I ended up with so much produce I didn’t know what to do with it! I saw an ad in the paper, which ended up inspiring the name of our nonprofit organization, that said “grow a row for the hungry,” encouraging local gardeners to donate their fresh produce. It was during my first pantry drop-off that I noticed the large gap in fresh food options– the overwhelming majority of offerings were canned goods. I set out to help fill that gap by starting America’s Grow-A-Row. After a few years as a produce donation organization, we started a weekly free farmer’s market, offering produce to the broader community at no cost. At one of our first farmer’s markets, an older woman fainted in line waiting to get food. She later shared with us that she had diabetes and access to affordable, fresh produce was crucial for her health. At that moment I realized: this wasn’t just a nice thing to do; it was a necessity. And that is what inspired me to develop America’s Grow-A-Row into what it is today.
What is your mission at America’s Grow-A-Row?
Chip: Our mission is to use fresh produce as a tool to end hunger and address the alarming rate of food insecurity in our communities. Our organization is built on the belief that everyone should have access to good quality fresh fruits and vegetables, an essential component of overall health and well-being. Our model is broken down into three pillars: grow, glean and give. We grow a variety of fruits and vegetables on our farms, as well as glean (or rescue) produce from local farms and grocery stores to donate to food pantries and soup kitchens. We also educate the communities we serve on how to buy, prepare and cook fresh produce on a budget. We rely heavily on volunteers to make this mission a reality. To date, we’ve donated over 82 million servings of healthy food across the country.
What are some of the main programs you offer locally in New Jersey?
Chip: Volunteering: Our work could not be possible without the hard work and dedication of our volunteers. We are always looking for community members, schools and corporations to come volunteer on our farms and help harvest our produce. It’s a fun opportunity to get your hands dirty, learn about sustainable agriculture practices and help plant food that will feed your community. We also have volunteers who travel around their state, collecting leftover produce from local grocery stores and farms to be donated to food pantries and soup kitchens.
Curriculum: Our nutrition experts run programs in local schools and workplaces, teaching youth and adults how to eat healthily and how to do it on a budget.
Free farmer’s markets: We offer several free farmer’s markets throughout New Jersey. We also work with local hospitals to set up “farmacies” near their facilities to educate people on diabetes management and provide them with free fresh produce.
We know that sustainability is a large part of your organization’s mission. Can you tell us more about why sustainable agriculture is important and how it affects our communities?
Chip: Sustainability is at the core of everything we do at America’s Grow-A-Row, from how we harvest our food, to how we implement our programming. Firstly, it’s important that we give people the resources and tools they need to integrate healthy eating habits into their lives in a sustainable way. This creates a lasting cycle of healthy communities and thriving local farms. Second, at the technical level, we use sustainable farming practices like:
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No-till planting directly into rye in order to minimize erosion;
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Partnering with local townships to utilize their extra leaves and mulch to enrich our soil;
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Using efficient irrigation resources so our systems conserve as much water as possible;
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Doing yearly crop rotations to help regenerate the land.
What role do community, philanthropic and private sector collaborations play in making a greater impact in your work?
Chip: To do the work we do, collaboration is absolutely crucial. I believe that we are a part of the solution to food insecurity, but not the whole answer. When we combine resources and expertise from across multiple sectors, we’re able to work together towards a more sustainable solution. For example, The Tepper Foundation’s contributions alone have helped us provide over 1 million servings of fresh produce to our communities. Essentially, our programs are only made possible by the generosity of our volunteers and the financial support we receive from foundations, corporations and other organizations. My goal is to continue finding ways to collaborate with others who are passionate about this mission so we can put healthy food on more plates!
How can your community get involved?
Chip: Volunteers are the backbone of this work. I would encourage anyone who can to come out to one of our farms and experience what we’re doing. I see volunteers leave our programming experiences as completely new people. There is something truly transformative about playing a role in your local ecosystem. Over the next three to five years, our goal is to harvest and distribute 5 million pounds of fresh food each year and that can only happen with the help from our communities!
You can help America’s Grow-A-Row harvest crops at their three New Jersey farms from July to November. Volunteer solo or with a group of 5-300. Learn more here.