The first official day of work in the pantry garden for 2025 was April 21. Based on the weather forecast, Hannah White, from The Seed Farm, selected this day to clear, rototill and plant our first bed.

I arrived at the garden before 9 a.m. with the intention of ensuring the proper inflation of the tires of the wheelbarrow and rototiller, cutting the grass for the first time and clearing off the hoops, coverings and sandbags from our fall brassica bed. This bed was selected to be planted with red bliss potatoes.

I was successful at inflating all the tires. Getting the mower started took some time, but it ultimately started, and I was able to cut the grass. I stacked up the sandbags, gathered up the row covers and removed the hoops. I even had time to sweep out the shed before Hannah arrived.

After unloading her truck and while waiting for the bed to be tilled, Hannah and I prepared the seed potatoes for planting. I learned that golf ball was the target size of seed potato for planting, and it needed to have at least two eyes.

Some of the potato eyes had a lot of growth and some had nubs that were barely noticeable. I learned that the size of the eye growth didn’t really matter, but large growth should be kept together. We cut the seed potatoes based on these specifications.

After Tom Noctor rototilled the bed, Hannah explained we needed to plant the potatoes in rows 1 foot apart and the rows were to be about 30 inches apart. We used rope, stakes and the fence to mark the rows. We then used a tape measure between the rows to ensure the 1-foot distance between the seed potatoes.

We hoed approximately 4-inch-deep rows and planted the seed potatoes cut side down. After we had all the rows planted, Hannah sprinkled the rows with fertilizer, and we mounded about 5 inches of soil over the planted potatoes.

While Hannah and I worked on the potato bed, Tom continued to rototill, fully preparing an existing bed for planting. After we finished planting and covering the seed potatoes, Hannah and I loaded her supplies and equipment into her truck.

After she left, I took a wheelbarrow of straw mulch to the tree line and stacked up some wood from our former raised beds. Around 1:30 p.m., Tom and I loaded the equipment into the shed and locked everything up. I was beat!

I went home, got cleaned up, had something to eat and took a long nap. I walk at least 3 miles every day, but I am obviously not yet in gardening shape!

In April, we distributed more than 3,600 pounds of fresh produce to our WCHI pantry guests. This included carrots, potatoes, onions, cabbage, oranges and mandarins, all provided through WCHI’s account at Second Harvest Food Bank.

Although WCHI has been fortunate to obtain fresh produce and many other food items from Second Harvest, our WCHI food pantry is always in need of other core foods including cereal, oatmeal packs, pancake mix, 16-ounce peanut butter, canned fruit in fruit juice or light syrup, chicken noodle soup, boxed macaroni and cheese and canned kidney beans.

Donated items are greatly appreciated and needed. Please place them on the right side of the entry foyer at the RE/MAX Unlimited office, 1080 Schadt Ave., Whitehall, 18052. Monetary donations also are needed and are payable to WCHI. Please mail to WCHI, also at the same address.

Can you, your apartment building, your housing subdivision, school, faith-based community, business, organizations or social groups host a food drive for WCHI? Note: WCHI does not accept baked goods or refrigerated or frozen foods.

Call or text me at 610-379-6823 to coordinate a local pickup, or you may drop your box or boxes off in the RE/MAX Unlimited foyer. Include your name, phone number and address so WCHI may properly thank you and/or your organization.

Happy May!

Editor’s note: This column was written by Gwen Herzog, pantry garden chair.