New Season of Garden Network Growth

NTFB is working to expand the number of partner gardens in high-needs areas so that more fresh food is grown for neighbors.

The start of fall means the planting of leafy vegetables, beets, broccoli and Swiss chard in Jan’s Garden at North Texas Food Bank. It also affords an opportunity to look forward, says Jessica Boerner, NTFB Garden Specialist.

Jan’s Garden is NTFB’s small-scale learning and production garden on the Perot Family Campus. Jessica and a group of dedicated volunteers not only grow produce for a nearby partner pantry, but they also support a blooming network of partner gardens that grow food for pantries in their communities. It’s through the expansion of partner gardens—particularly in counties where there are unmet needs, such as Ellis, Collin and Rockwall—that Jessica sees great potential.

“My goal is really to increase the amount of food that we can grow for our neighbors in need and to do that through existing gardens and farms,” Jessica says. “We want to create a high yield for our neighbors.”

In Fiscal Year 2025, the Partner Garden Network included 18 gardens that together grew and donated 39,640 pounds of produce. Jan’s Garden grew and donated an additional 1,317 pounds of food (those fruits and vegetables went to The Storehouse Community Center in Plano).

Jessica says as they look for additional partner gardens, NTFB wants to partner with those that are already established and looking to expand their efforts by giving back to their community. While NTFB is grateful for start-up gardens, Jessica cannot work with them closely during the start-up process simply because of the time required.

For gardens that are established or growing, Jessica says she’s intentional about referring volunteers when possible. Some volunteers have lots of experience planting while others volunteer because they want to learn. Each is important, it’s just a matter of finding them the right place to serve.

“Every partner garden and every interested volunteer have a valuable impact so it’s just matching needs,” Jessica says.

Volunteers in Jan’s Garden, who typically serve on Tuesday mornings, have plenty of opportunities to learn. In the coming months, Jessica says they’ll be focusing on what can be grown in winter.

“People think spring and summer are the times to plant, but I think winter is the most underutilized season,” she says, adding that the greenhouse affords the opportunity to grow several types of greens.

A Texas native, Jessica says she was raised gardening, first in the DFW suburbs and then in the country. Before coming to NTFB, she spent 10 years working on organic farms in the area.

“I’ve always loved to give back to my community and this seemed like the perfect way to merge what I love to do with being able to help my community grow and thrive,” she says, of her role at NTFB.

To learn more about the garden program and how you can get involve, visit ntfb.org/garden-programs.