Leavenworth garden bounty goes to food banks

LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) - A program at the U.S. Penitentiary in Leavenworth yielded more than 85,000 pounds of produce last year.

The Leavenworth Times reports (https://bit.ly/1vkgx1h ) the program is on track to yield up to about 160,000 pounds this year.

Keith Thomas, education specialist at the federal prison, says the produce is donated to local food banks. Thomas discussed the program during a recent meeting of USP’s Community Relations Board. The produce grown this year includes sweet corn, tomatoes and lettuce.

Thomas says there are 24 acres for the field operations of the garden program. He says many inmates who participate in the program had never worked in a garden or on a farm. But he says gardening helps them and lets them give back to the community.

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Information from: Leavenworth (Kan.) Times, https://www.leavenworthtimes.com