Not everyone is blessed with a green thumb. Some people can’t keep a house plant alive long enough to cart it home from the supermarket. Some people don’t care to get their hands dirty; to weed, water and plant and deal with brown gunk creeping beneath their fingernails.

But even those who shudder at the thought of mingling with worms will have a hard time finding an acceptable reason to turn down Lori Spear’s offer. She’s willing to provide the space, tools and the all-important how-to for maintaining a thriving garden. And the clincher? All of the gardening effort is for a good cause.

Lori Spear owns the Hummingbird Farm Nursery and Gardens with her family and has launched two projects to benefit the Whidbey community. In 2008, Spear started a “Plant a Row for the Hungry” campaign and invited service organizations and individuals to take over a gardening plot on her farm. The idea was for groups to come and grow fruits and vegetables and then to donate them  to food banks.

Spear said when she first started, she went to meetings of dozens of island organizations asking them to get involved. And though she did have some people come out, Spear said the enthusiasm seemed to fizzle out pretty quickly.

“The project never really got off the ground, but I’m kind of like a terrier,” Spear said. “I won’t give up on an idea if I think it’s a good one.”

Now, Spear is asking people to help in however they can.

“We’re encouraging locals to do a row in their own backyard,” Spear said. “We’d like kids to come out and learn how to plant and go back and do it at home or in their school gardens. “Plant a Row” could also be applied to people who already have fruit trees. A lot of people aren’t aware that the food banks will take fresh fruits and vegetables and their extra goes to waste.”

A few farmers and organizations have kept up successful “Plant a Row” gardens, and workers from the food banks are grateful.

North Whidbey Help House Executive Director Jean Wieman said by the end of March, the Help House had fed 3,529, which is nearly 300 more than this same time last year. Additionally, she said on average, the food bank receives five new applications for food each day which has put a significant dent in its inventory during a season of low donations.

“When you’re on a limited food budget, it’s very hard to buy nutritious and fresh items like fruits and vegetables,” Wieman said. “Programs like “Plant a Row” at Hummingbird Farms have become a much appreciated addition to the food we have available for our clients. In the last couple of years, not only has “Plant a Row” been a big benefit but many local people are planting their own gardens and are excited when they call and we tell them we are happy to take their extras.”

Molly Hughes from Coupeville’s Gifts from the Heart said the organization has been thrilled to have a partnership with the Town of Coupeville’s Community Garden for the second year. She said the food bank workers are thankful to get any fresh fruit or vegetable, no matter how rare.

“One of my favorite stories is about the first time Dale Sherman from Pioneer Farm donated beautiful hubbard squash to us,” Hughes said. “At the end of the day, most of the squash was still there, our clients didn’t know what it was or how to prepare it. The next time we got it, we stood by the squash and told everyone how easy it is to cook and how their kids would love it with a little brown sugar on it. Dale has donated hundreds of pounds of squash to us and we have never had a single piece left after that first time.”

Hughes also said if food bank clients would like to start their own plot in the community garden, Gifts from the Heart does provide scholarships to cover the $30 fee.

For more help getting started with “Plant a Row,” or for any garden, Spear also started a gardeners exchange project last year. Each Sunday she invites people to come to the Hummingbird Farm with gardening-related items like gloves, seedlings, bulbs and potted plants and swap them with other participants. She said it’s an easy way for people to get the things they need without having to drop dough.

“These are grassroot projects,” Spear said. “It’s neighbors helping neighbors. I don’t sit on a board to be able to get the word out. I think we just need a champion to get things really going.”

With plots ready and waiting, backyards free and monthly gardening supply exchanges scheduled, there really is no excuse.

Be the “Plant a Row” champion.

Getting started

Lori Spear will host an informational gathering about “Plant a Row” at the Hummingbird Farm Nursery and Gardens at 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 22. Garderner exchanges and swap meets will be held the last Sunday of every month at 1 p.m. through September. The farm is located at 2319 Zylstra Road in Oak Harbor. Call 679-5044 for information or visit www.hummingbirdfarmnursery.com.

Food bank help

An easy way to make a food donation is to set out a bag of food by your mailbox on Saturday, May 14, when mail carriers will pick it up for the annual Mail Carriers Food Drive.

For general information about donations or food assistance, call North Whidbey Help House located in Oak Harbor at 675-0681 or Gifts from the Heart located in Coupeville at 678-8312.