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CU-Boulder faculty, staff and students and Community Food Share volunteers will harvest the first crop of vegetables from a garden planted on campus in early June and donate the food to needy Boulder County people.

Campus and Community Food Share volunteers will harvest the first crop of lettuce, radishes and beets on Monday, July 13, beginning at 10 a.m. The Food Share garden is located near the front door of the CU Recreation Center.

In June, volunteers planted peppers, beans, carrots, beets, herbs, peas, cabbage and squash. After Monday's harvest, volunteers will plant a second crop of spinach and lettuce and harvest the remaining "warm-weather" vegetables as they ripen, said CU-Boulder Community Relations Director Wynn Martens.

In late summer, volunteers will plant a crop of "cooler weather" vegetables like spinach, peas and lettuce that will be ready for harvest in fall, said Dave Carlson, coordinator of the Community Food Share gardens.

"This is what the volunteers have been waiting for," said Martens. "They want to see their hard work pay off and help others in the community."

All vegetables from the CU-Boulder garden will be donated back to Community Food Share. As the official "food bank" for Boulder County, Community Food Share distributes food to agencies like Emergency Family Assistance and the Shelter for the Homeless as well as local church groups.

"The students and staff at CU have done a terrific job," said Carlson. "They have gotten their feet wet, and learned a lot about gardening. I think there are some exciting possibilities for increasing campus gardens next year."

Community Food Share volunteers also create gardens for low-income families in Boulder County, said Carlson.

Those interested in participating in the collaborative project should call Martens at 492-7084 or Carlson at 443-0623.