MILFORD - Gardeners know the feeling: the vegetable patch that so much work has gone into returns the favor with a bountiful harvest, too bountiful, more than one family can eat.
"You find yourself sneaking baseball-bat-sized zucchini onto a neighbor's porch at night," said gardener Nancy Haines. "Everyone always has excess. Why not use it for something good?"
That's the idea behind Harvest with a Heart, a weekly garden market in Milford that Haines, along with fellow gardeners, Ann Schlabach and Angel Hardy, started July 4. Harvest with a Heart differs from a typical produce or farmers market. There are no price tags. Instead, there are seven jars, each with the name of a local charity or organization. In return for fresh produce, customers choose one of the charities to donate to.
"We ask a minimum donation of 25 cents per item or handful," said Hardy.
The charities and organizations include Milford Fire Department, Milford Food Bank, Milford Kiwanis, Milford Public Library, Milford Lions, Milford United Methodist Preschool and Harvest with a Heart fundraiser for advertising, printing and supplies.As of last week, Harvest with a Heart had taken in $1,297.57 in cash donations toward charities.
The market opens each Friday at 7 a.m. and people begin to trickle in. Some bring produce to donate, others browse and buy, most do both.
"It's a nice garden trade," said Haines.
Before long, the small shop is full of neighbors browsing the week's variety and swapping recipes and gardening lore.
"It's kind of growing a sense of community that I didn't expect," said Haines.
Lisa Weisser, a regular customer at Harvest with a Heart, said the market has provided a great example of something she wants her children to learn.
"Kids need to know how to contribute to the community," Weisser said.
She said her children enjoy bringing the family's excess veggies to donate and buying some of the produce they find at Harvest with a Heart by donating to the local charities.
Harvest with a Heart's founders said the market also provides a boost to customers' grocery budgets making fresh produce - often some of the most expensive items in supermarkets - available for the price of a 25-cent donation.
"People come in that really need the food," said Hardy. "They come in and fill up a bag and pay with some change."
"We love it when that happens," said Schlabach. "It's so neat to see when someone who really needs the food comes in and just puts a quarter in the jar."
But, the women said, Harvest with a Heart isn't just for those in need.
"We're open to everyone," said Haines.
Area gardeners have donated to Harvest with a Heart in a big way. As of last week, the market had sold 2,901.25 pounds of produce.
"In the beginning, we had thought Nancy's and my gardens would probably have to support it," said Schlabach. "But, it has not turned out that way. The community really has just embraced it 100 percent. We had no idea it would take off like this."
Hardy said one of the benefits of so many different donors is the variety of produce featured at Harvest with a Heart.
"We've had all kinds of vegetables," said Hardy, "kohlrabi, cabbage, purple eggplant, white eggplant, beans, different types of squash, turnips, corn, peppers, tomatoes. People like to come in and see what we have each week and try out different things."
Haines, Hardy and Schlabach said Harvest with a Heart will stay open until late autumn.
"We hope to have apples and pumpkins and winter squash," said Hardy.
Harvest with a Heart is open every Friday from 7 a.m. to noon just west of the corner of Emeline and Main streets. For more information, visit www.harvestwithaheart.com
