AUBURN UNIVERSITY, Ala. — Alabama gardeners turned extra rows, backyard plots and community gardens into 124,414 pounds of donated produce during the Alabama Cooperative Extension System’s Grow More, Give More 250 Pound Challenge, which wrapped up on Labor Day.

The real winners, however, are the recipients of the bounty — some 24,000 individuals and families facing food insecurity across the state.

The statewide challenge encouraged gardeners in every county to grow and donate at least 250 pounds of fresh produce. Statewide, 55 Alabama counties participated, with 35 of those meeting or exceeding the 250-pound goal.

The challenge celebrated the nation’s 250th anniversary while building on the longstanding Grow More, Give More effort, which encourages Alabama gardeners to grow a little extra and share their harvest with people in need. Donations were made to food banks, community kitchens, places of worship, families, neighbors and other local organizations.

“Every pound represents somebody who made the decision to grow a little more and give a little more,” said Bethany O’Rear, an Alabama Extension home horticulture agent and leader of the Grow More, Give More project. “That’s what makes this challenge so exciting — neighbors helping neighbors. So many stepped up to make fresh food available to those who need it.”

Butler County claimed the top spot in the challenge with 26,265 pounds of donated food.

“It was a great opportunity for our county to come together and do something that directly benefited our communities,” said recently retired Butler County Extension Director Sharlean Briggs. “Seeing people contribute what they grew and knowing that food was going to someone who needed it made this challenge especially rewarding. We owe a special thanks to Henry Heartsill and his son for their generous donations of watermelons to many of our churches and food pantries.”

Grow More, Give More began during the COVID-19 pandemic as an effort to encourage home gardeners to plant an extra row and share their harvest. In 2025, participants donated 21,563 pounds of produce, helping more than 3,000 Alabama families.

This year’s challenge showed that the spirit of giving continues to grow — one garden, one county and one donation at a time. The challenge may be over, but the need for donated food never ends, as food insecurity affects 2 million Alabama residents. To learn more about donating fresh food through this program, visit aces.edu and search “Grow More, Give More.”