AmpleHarvest.org Launches Free Toolkit to Help Local Officials Expand Fresh Food Access Using What Communities Already Grow

Newfoundland, NJ, May 12, 2026 --(PR.com)-- Across the United States, an estimated 62 million home and community gardeners grow more fruits and vegetables than they can use, while at the same time thousands of food pantries struggle to provide fresh produce to the families they serve. A new free toolkit from AmpleHarvest.org aims to help local, county, and state officials bridge that gap immediately, at no cost and without creating new government programs.

AmpleHarvest.org, a 17-year-old national nonprofit, has launched the toolkit at www.AmpleHarvest.org/government to give mayors, county executives, public health departments, human services agencies, sustainability offices, and state officials a practical way to improve access to fresh food in their communities. The toolkit can be implemented right away and requires no legislation, no budget appropriation, no new staff, no new infrastructure, and no government management of food donations.

“The solution does not require creating a new program, spending new money, or managing food donations,” said Gary Oppenheimer, founder and executive director of AmpleHarvest.org. “It simply requires helping local food pantries become visible to gardeners and helping gardeners learn where and how to donate surplus harvests. That’s it.”

Connecting Excess Harvests with Local Need

While many gardeners want to share extra produce, they often do not know which nearby food pantries will accept fresh fruits and vegetables, or when and how donations should be made. For 17 years, AmpleHarvest.org has worked to solve that problem by operating a national public awareness effort and a unique online search tool populated directly by food pantries themselves. The system allows gardeners to quickly find nearby pantries eager to receive fresh produce and identify the best days and times to donate.

The new government toolkit is designed to help public officials amplify that existing infrastructure in their communities. “Using the AmpleHarvest.org/government toolkit, we’re able to bridge the gap between overflowing gardens and empty plates in our community,” said Rachel Redepenning, a public health educator with the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department in Nebraska.

The toolkit provides step-by-step guidance to help officials:

Encourage food pantries to list or update their information on AmpleHarvest.org
Direct residents and gardeners to AmpleHarvest.org to find nearby food pantries accepting fresh produce
Share simple seasonal messages during planting and harvest periods
Reduce fresh food waste while improving access to nutritious food

A Role for Government without New Programs

Supporters say the approach shows how public officials can strengthen food access by building on resources that already exist within their communities.

“Solutions are best when they come from the ground up. Government does not always need to create a new program to help solve a local problem,” said New Jersey Assemblywoman Aura K. Dunn. “When local leaders can help residents learn where to donate surplus harvests, they can strengthen food access using resources that already exist in the community.”

AmpleHarvest.org currently works with approximately 8,500 food pantries in 5,700 communities across all 50 states, including Native American reservations. The organization’s model does not require transportation, storage, or handling by government agencies, making it accessible to communities of all sizes.

“For government leaders, the opportunity is straightforward,” Oppenheimer said. “Help residents use what their communities already grow. It’s a rare solution that works across geography, party lines, and budget realities. The food is already growing. We just need local leaders to help make sure it gets to the people who need it.”

The free toolkit is available now at www.AmpleHarvest.org/government.

About AmpleHarvest.org

AmpleHarvest.org is a 17-year-old award-winning nationwide nonprofit that enables America’s home and community gardeners to donate their surplus harvests to nearby food pantries. By removing the misinformation and missing information that historically prevented fresh garden produce from being donated, AmpleHarvest.org helps reduce hunger, malnutrition, and fresh food waste in all 50 states. The organization works in more than 5,700 communities nationwide and has been recognized for its innovative, scalable, zero-logistics solution to improving fresh food access.

Media Contact:
Gary Oppenheimer (note: correct name is AmpleHarvest.org – not “Ample Harvest”)
gary@AmpleHarvest.org
973-632-7568