Gardeners, local business and Rockdale Emergency Relief are helping to fight hunger with the Master Gardeners' "Plant a Row" project.

In 2011, the Rockdale County Master Gardener Extension Volunteers, working in cooperation with the Georgia Power Retirees Association, created a Plant a Row vegetable garden using a half acre of land donated by Dixie Graphics. The garden has 32 rows that are 100' long, spaced 4' apart. Plant a Row is a program where gardeners dedicate a row or some amount of space in their garden specifically to donate produce to local food banks.

The Rockdale Master Gardeners, along with the Georgia Power Retirees, donate much of their harvest to the Rockdale Emergency Relief (RER) organization, a local charity that provides food for families in need. During the growing season in 2012 over 3200 lbs and in 2014 over 2300 lbs of vegetables were delivered to RER. Rockdale Master Gardener Extension Volunteers (MGEV) reported for 2014 a total of 583 volunteer hours, spread among 13 volunteers, representing service valued at approximately $13,000.00. Additional hours were provided by 6 Georgia Power Retirees.

In 2014, the Plant a Row garden was officially registered as a charitable Plant a Row for the Hungry (PAR) project. PAR is a concept conceived and administered by the Garden Writers Association (GWA) and the GWA Foundation which provide support, including signage and national data collection & coordination

The 2015 PAR summer garden has produced and delivered over 1,000 lbs to RER so far. The four rows of tomatoes continue to produce and are still being harvested, but they are coming to an end. The volunteers are in the process of removing the spent summer plants, tilling the soil, laying out new rows and preparing the soil for a Fall garden.

Cool season vegetables to be grown include: beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, collards, kale, lettuce, onions, turnips, radishes and sweet potatoes. Broccoli, cabbage and onion plants get set out during the first weeks of September and seed crops will then be planted for the rest of the Fall vegetables.

For more information on the Plant a Row garden or The Rockdale County Master Gardeners Extension Volunteers, you can contact the Extension Office located at the Parker Rd. Government Office or by calling the Extension Office at 770-278-7373.

Through the support of the Master Gardener Extension Volunteers and Georgia Power Retirees, Rockdale Emergency Relief (RER), a not-for-profit organization serving the community for over the past 48 years continues to provide food to families experiencing food insecurity. RER ensures local residents have access to the nutritional foods needed to live an active and healthy life. In 2014, RER food bank served 3,012 households which consisted of 8,655 individuals. About 71 tons of food were distributed. Families facing food insecurity will always be present, and RER needs the community's help to help our neighbors in need. Supporting Rockdale County families in need happens through the generosity of financial and in-kind supporters. For more information about volunteering in the food bank, or coordinating a food drive to collect non-perishable food items at your workplace, church or in your neighborhood, please contact Susan Clark at 770-922-9210. RER is located at 350 Tall Oaks Drive, Conyers 30013.