Hands on Harvests

Hands On Harvests grew out of a community initiative called Grow a Row FC, which was started in May 2020 to provide more fresh produce to food banks in Fairfax County and Falls Church, Virginia. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic crisis, pantries were experiencing a 400-800% increase in demand. Between May and October 2020, Grow a Row gardeners delivered 2,000 pounds of backyard produce and decided to continue into the next growing season. Hands On Harvests incorporated in July 2021 and received 501(c)(3) status from the IRS in October 2021.

HOH's mission is to create and and sustain a network of growers producing more fresh fruits and vegetables for Northern Virginians. We do this by: -Supporting growers with free seeds, plant starts, and mentorship. -Making it easy for gardeners and farmers to donate to food banks and other organizations that distribute fresh produce by establishing neighborhood produce drop-off sites and providing free farm-to-food-bank courier service. -Opening and managing community gardens in Northern Virginia, especially in food-insecure neighborhoods. Hands On Harvests currently manages four community gardens and an urban farm.