Annual Cool Weather Vegetable
Giveaway April 11 and 12
Our annual cool weather vegetable plant giveaway will be Saturday, April 11 from 10 a.m. to noon and on Sunday, April 12 from noon to 2 p.m. at the Faith & Grace Garden Greenhouse.
Park in the lot north of St Timothy’s Episcopal Church, 1020 24th Street in West Des Moines. Come by and select from the following free vegetable starts: broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, lettuce, kale, onions, spinach and Swiss chard. Donations are welcome but not required. Please bring a box to put your plants in.
Experienced volunteers will be on-hand to help you with your gardening questions.
Our warm weather vegetable plant giveaway will be in May. More details soon.
Final Tally – Garden Produce 2025
We didn’t send a newsletter with our garden results last year, so here it is now. In 2025, we grew and donated a total of 32,370 pounds of fresh, organic fruits and vegetables to feed hungry people in Polk County.
2025 was our best year ever for peppers!
| Produce | Pounds |
| Apples | 440 |
| Arugula | 30 |
| Beans | 1,088 |
| Beets | 115 |
| Bitter Melon | 189 |
| Cabbage | 2,816 |
| Cantaloupe | 195 |
| Collards | 410 |
| Corn | 570 |
| Cucumbers | 365 |
| Edamame | 30 |
| Eggplant | 1,507 |
| Garlic | 270 |
| Kale | 340 |
| Lettuce | 455 |
| Okra | 298 |
| Onions | 240 |
| Potatoes | 3,430 |
| Peas | 350 |
| Pears | 185 |
| Peppers | 3,268 |
| Radish | 410 |
| Spinach | 92 |
| Sweet Potato | 2,815 |
| Swiss Chard | 623 |
| Tomatoes | 8,602 |
| Tomatillos | 10 |
| Turnips | 240 |
| Watermelon | 760 |
| Zucchini | 2,227 |
| 2025 Total Produce | 32,370 |
2025 Donation Sites
| Site | Pounds |
| Children and Families Urban Ministries | 5,537 |
| Johnston Partnership Food Pantry | 4,247 |
| Lutheran Services Refugee Services | 715 |
| St Marks Fridge | 1,420 |
| Trinity Los Americas | 9,480 |
| West Des Moines Human Services | 10,971 |
| 2025 Total Donations | 32,370 |
Become a Garden Volunteer in 2026
We will need volunteers to help in the garden starting in April and running through October.
Individuals can volunteer in the garden during set volunteer times. School, church, civic, and corporate groups are always welcome in the garden by appointment.