by Texas Homesteader ~
A few years ago I started something called a ‘Blessing Basket’. It’s a way I can easily share garden produce with those around me. Here’s how it works:
Over Productive Garden Produce Not Wasted
We’ve all done it – that zucchini is relished when it first starts producing in the garden. But after a while you find yourself (and your family) growing tired of the excess.
Even your zucchini-loving family moans when they hear it’s on the menu tonight… yet again!
But you hate to waste it. I mean, you planted that seed, tenderly took care of the seedling and delighted in its production.
But there’s just so much! What can you do?
Easy Way To Bless Others With Garden Harvest
I found a way I can easily bless others with that extra garden produce with something I call my weekly ‘Blessing Basket’.
One day each week I put the entire day’s garden harvest into a basket. If it’s ready to pick, it goes into the basket. Then I take that basket to our church to share.
Many people there are older or no longer garden. They absolutely love this garden-fresh produce!
Blessing Basket Contents
A typical Blessing Basket might hold the eggs my free-range hens laid that day, a few yellow summer squash, some cantaloupe, a handful of tomatoes, a couple of cucumbers and some fresh green beans.
Whatever’s ready to harvest on that day goes into the basket to share with someone else.
And I often include fresh herbs that I have growing such as rosemary, basil, oregano, thyme and sage.
Plus I like to add a few stems of stevia too so my friends can experiment with sweetening Sun Tea just like we do here on the Homestead.
Offering Fresh Produce To Others For Free
I bring the basket full of my garden offerings & set it on the table. Then I just let my church family choose whatever they want from the basket. It’s always empty when I bring the basket home!
I feel good that my precious garden produce didn’t go to waste. And the recipients are beyond thrilled with the super-fresh produce too.
And c’mon, what gardener doesn’t like to share their garden’s bounty with others?
A Gardener’s Challenge
I challenge you gardeners out there to do the same. Share one day’s harvest with your book club, daycare, or just the neighbor down the street.
You’ll feel good sharing, they’ll love the produce and you just might form a bond that you didn’t have before.
~TxH~
This post categorized in 
Links Included In This Post
- Difference in Nutrition Of Free-Range Eggs
- Stevia, The Gardener’s Sweetener
- Brewing Your Tea Using The Power Of The Sun
My Favorite Garden Hacks
Garden Planning
Seed Planting
- Planting Seeds In A Milk-Jug Greenhouse
- Planting An Indoor Greenhouse
- Repurposed Cardboard Seed-Starting Pots
Soil Health
- Easy Compost For A Healthy Garden
- How Leaves Benefit Your Garden
- Using Manure In Your Compost & Garden
Garden Styles
- 3-Sister’s Garden – The Original Companion Planting
- Planting A Large Galvanized Trough
- Where I Found The BEST Raised Bed!
- Planting A Blueberry Bush In Rustic Galvanized Tub
Garden Plants/Harvest
- Stevia – Growing Your Own Sweetener!
- My Simple, Zero-Waste Herb Drying Setup
- The Lazy Gardener’s Plant List – Plant Once, Eat For Years!
- How To Tell When Watermelon Is Ripe
- Luffa A Surprising Zucchini Substitute!
- How To Plant & Grow The Best Tomatoes
Water/Irrigation/Drought
- Keeping Potted Plants Watered
- Repurposing A Coffee Can For Deep-Soak Watering
- 3 Rainwater Collection Systems We Use
- Cheap (or FREE) Wood Mulch For The Garden
- Using Vining Plants For Living Mulch
Weed Control
Garden Tips
- Tricking Birds AWAY From Your Strawberry Plants
- Propping Tender Seedlings
- Homestead Hack: Remember Where You Planted Seeds
- How I Use EcoBricks In The Garden
MORE Gardening Posts
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This year we have been very blessed with lots of tomatoes, cucumbers, bell & jalapeno peppers and onions. I’ve taken bags of them to church, meetings (both professional and personal), and I put together a basket with veggies & sunflowers for a door prize at a professional women’s dinner meeting. I love sharing our bounty with friends and family. Now people want to know if I’ll sell my tomatoes. I say no, but I’ll give you some more. It is a blessing to share with others.
Not enough “HEARTS” to love this enough, Patsy! Love, love, LOVE IT! 🙂 ~TxH~