The first official planning day for the 2026 pantry garden was Dec. 15, 2025. I had a conference call with Hannah White, from The Seed Farm, to discuss what we would like to plant in our garden, the quantities and the location within our garden.

We identified the garden as beds A, B and C. Bed A is closest to the creek, and for 2026, the plan is to grow zucchini, tomatoes and peppers in this bed. Bed B is the center bed with white potatoes closer to the gate and sweet potatoes on the opposite side. The white potato section of bed B will serve as our fall bed for radishes and red beets. Bed C is next to the shed and will be planted with winter squash.

During my discussion with Hannah, I also learned The Seed Farm resources we will be eligible for next year will only include some seedlings and possibly seeds. Unfortunately, due to budget cuts, the technical support we received in 2024 and 2025 will not be available.

This means we will have to purchase and plant our own seed potatoes and sweet potato vines, set up the irrigation system on our own and do more research throughout the season to address any pest issues.

In December, Second Harvest was once again able to provide us with a generous amount of produce including cabbage, squash, carrots, apples, pears, grapes and produce boxes containing sweet potatoes, apples and a pineapple. Thank you to our dedicated pantry volunteers who down-packed pears and apples so our guests were able to grab a bag of each as they were shopping. The other produce was added to guests’ carts before being taken to their vehicles.

Thank you to everyone who has donated food via the various community food drives this fall! We have received hundreds of pounds of food from local churches, schools, class reunions, birthday parties, housing communities, businesses and nonprofits. Plus, individuals continue to donate a tremendous amount of food at the Re/Max office vestibule. Year to date, we have received more than 28,500 pounds of food, toiletries and pet food donations! This is about a 40% increase from the donations received in 2024.

Last month, I wrote about other donations we need in the form of reusable shopping bags. These include paper grocery bags and reusable shopping tote bags with handles. Since my last article, we have seen an uptick in shopping bag donations. Thank you!

A friend of the pantry also donated signage reminding guests to bring their reusable shopping bags from their cars.

As we enter that time of year when our outdoor activities are reduced and staying inside the house starts to make us crazy, why not consider volunteering at our WCHI Food Pantry? Each Wednesday, we start around 10:45 a.m. date checking and sorting and shelving any food donations received before our Second Harvest truck arrives approximately 11:30 a.m. We then unload the truck and put away the contents. Finally, we stock shelves.

On distribution weeks, we sometimes down-pack fruits and vegetables in preparation for the next day, finishing up by around 1 p.m. On the second and third Thursdays, we shop with pantry guests, stock shelves and take carts of food to guests’ cars. Hours on these days are 9 a.m.-1 p.m. and 4:30-7 p.m. Volunteers are invited to join us for any portion of these hours.

Remember, your donations may continue to be dropped at the Re/Max Unlimited office at 1080 Schadt Ave., Whitehall, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Fridays. If you have a large donation that needs to be picked up, or if you prefer to drop your donation directly to the pantry, feel free to give me a call at 610-379-6823.

Also, if you are curious about what the pantry looks like, how it operates or if you may be interested in volunteering, give me a call, and we can set up a visit for you.

Thank you again for your generosity throughout 2025! Happy New Year, and have a safe and healthy 2026.

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