A PROJECT OF SUSTAINABLE BALLARD · EST. 2015
Ballard Sprouts
Plant a row for the hungry. Ballard Sprouts is a growing network of backyard gardeners across the neighborhood who grow a little extra on purpose — donating thousands of pounds of fresh produce every season to neighbors facing food insecurity. It’s one of our highest-impact projects, and it runs on you.
WHAT
Grow & donate
backyard produce
WHO
Dozens of gardeners
all skill levels, all over Ballard
DONATED
Thousands of lbs
every single season
WHAT IT IS
One extra row makes a difference.
Ballard Sprouts is the largest source of fresh, hyper-local produce we send to neighbors facing food insecurity — thousands of pounds a season, grown a few blocks from where it’s needed. Most gardens produce more than one household can eat, and this project turns that surplus into real relief: gardeners commit to growing an extra row — or simply donating their overflow — and we make sure it gets to a food bank while it’s fresh.
New to growing? We’ll help you start. We share seeds, starts, and know-how, and we’ll point you to a drop-off close to home. Every zucchini counts, and nobody has ever been turned away for bringing too many tomatoes.
HOW IT WORKS
From your garden to a neighbor’s kitchen
Grow what you love, set aside what you can spare, and we handle the rest.
1
Pledge a row
Tell us you’re in and roughly what you’ll grow. We’ll send seeds, starts, and tips to get you going.
2
Grow & harvest
Tend your plot through the season. When the surplus rolls in, pick it at its peak and bag it up.
3
Drop it off
Bring your harvest to a neighborhood collection point and we’ll deliver it to a pantry the same day.
IN THE HARVEST
What grows well here
Ballard’s cool, damp summers love a surprising amount — here’s what our gardeners donate most.
Greens
- Lettuce & chard
- Kale
- Spinach
- Herbs
Summer crops
- Zucchini
- Tomatoes
- Beans
- Cucumbers
Roots
- Carrots
- Beets
- Potatoes
- Radishes
We provide
- Seeds & starts
- Growing tips
- Drop-off points
- Friendly mentors
IN THE GARDEN
Beds, baskets, and big harvests
WHY IT MATTERS
“A backyard that grows one extra row feeds far more than one family — it feeds the whole block, all season long.”
The Ballard Sprouts gardeners — On planting a little extra on purpose
IN GOOD COMPANY
Partners & supporters
Ballard Sprouts grows fresh food in neighbor yards across Ballard, then hands every harvest to local hunger-relief partners.
Local food pantry
RECEIVING PARTNER
Ballard Food Bank
LEND A HAND
Pledge a row this season
Whether you have raised beds or a single pot on the porch, there’s room to grow a little extra. We’ll help you start.