Full Circle Food Pantry Garden
Join our Fall Fundraiser!! https://donate.seedmoney.org/12460/full-circle-food-pantry-garden
Full Circle Food Pantry Garden
Begun in 2009 as a plot of bare earth in the center of the South Hadley Community Garden, the garden has grown over the past years to include nearly 50 raised beds plus over 150 feet of fencing for growing climbing vegetables.
This bountiful garden supplies over 2,700 pounds of food each growing season to the South Hadley Food Pantry, Neighbors Helping Neighbors(NHN). We produce a wide variety of perennial and annual vegetables, fruits, and herbs. Native flowers and other annuals support the pollination of the crops and provide beautiful bouquets to NHN clients.
The garden is managed by a volunteer staff of gardeners. Throughout the growing season, nearly 30 individuals work at the garden at different times and in various capacities. Under the direction of Master Gardeners, we have scheduled work days that involve crews of up to a dozen. Harvesters work twice weekly to pick, pack and deliver vegetables to the Food Pantry. These and other volunteers also work weekly on garden maintenance and support.
Latest News
End of the Season 2025
This year we experimented with growing Trombocino Squash, a relative of zucchini and summer squash. It was a big success! This is the last harvest of it on October 11th, along with a few bunches of radishes.
Maximizing flavor: Butternut squash sent with fresh sage
We try to provide NHN clients a rewarding experience. Here is our newly harvested winter squash accompanied with a recipe and other suggestions on cooking the squash with fresh herbs.
Cherry Tomatoes and one perfect regular tomato; fresh and dried thyme, mint, parsley & chives
Fresh herbs are provided to NHN all throughout the growing season, starting with mint, parsley and thyme in the early spring. Basil grown among the tomatoes provides big bags of it for pesto and salads in the summer. Lemon balm for tea, and oregano for pizza round out the herb selection. These were all in our last harvest on October 15, 2025.
What We Grow
We grow a wide variety of seasonal vegetables. Our produce varies by month, and includes herbs, greens, peas, radishes and rhubarb in early spring. Tomatoes, peppers, summer squashes, zucchini, radishes and baby turnips, are harvested all summer along with eggplant, garlic, Hardy winter squashes and sweet potatoes are ready in the fall. We also have an herb garden and grow flowers besides all our vegetable crops. The Full Circle Garden delivered over 2,700 pounds of fresh, organic produce to Neighbors Helping Neighbors in 2025. including peas, beans, lettuces and other greens, tomatoes, squashes, onions and garlic, and herbs. We also sent over 500 bouquets this year to help to brighten peoples’ days.
Thank You to our generous donors and supporters
We exist solely through the generosity of our community donors and supporters. They include:
Our Volunteers, who provide all the labor and management to the Garden. Many of our Volunteers are also generous donors.
Western Massachusetts Master Gardener Association
Andrew's Greenhouse, Amherst MA
Bear Path Compost, Deerfield MA
SeedMoney , Scarborough ME
We Welcome Volunteers
We welcome volunteers of any age and skill sets. If you are interested in learning how to garden we will teach you. Youths under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or responsible adult, and we welcome adults who want to bring their children to participate in helping with the garden.