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Every county in America experiences food insecurity, according to a new report from Feeding America. And with $1 billion in cuts to farms, food banks, and school programs under the Trump administration, community-level efforts to feed people are more vital than ever.
This is why we’re building Meals n Feelz—to power food justice from the ground up. Because access to food is a human right, and no one should go hungry or live in a food desert.
In central Wisconsin, the Waushara County Food Pantry is proving what’s possible when neighbors grow with purpose. The pantry already supports about 1,100 people each month—and thanks to its partnership with the Waushara Gardeners club, it’s turning homegrown produce into a lifeline for families facing hunger.
Last year alone, the pantry distributed nearly 500,000 pounds of food—including 2,000 pounds of fresh vegetables donated by local gardeners and farmers. The collaboration blossomed through the national “Plant a Row for the Hungry” campaign, which encourages people to grow a little extra food specifically for donation.
For volunteer Susan Herman, the need is personal and urgent.
“The number of families that come through looking for support with food is staggering,” she told Wisconsin Public Radio. “The people coming through are good, hardworking people. But sometimes it’s just too hard to make ends meet.”
Many pantry patrons don’t even have basics like milk or butter to prepare boxed meals. But cucumbers, potatoes, tomatoes, and onions? Those can stretch into something nourishing.
Kathy Shaw, president of the Waushara Gardeners, calls the pantry partnership “a perfect mesh” of community spirit and urgent need.
After a speaker canceled last minute at a club meeting, the group reached out to the pantry to ask how they could help. Now, they’re building raised beds, dropping off vegetables weekly, and donating excess produce that would otherwise go to waste.
“It isn’t just going to rot,” Shaw said. “It’s helping someone else who is food insecure.”
This model—neighbors growing for neighbors—offers more than just a meal. It affirms dignity. It reconnects people to the land and to each other. And it keeps fresh, vitamin-rich food circulating in communities where it’s needed most.
Even scraps and spoiled produce don’t go to waste: they’re composted and used in the pantry’s new demonstration garden beds, closing the loop on local sustainability.
And this movement isn’t limited to Waushara County.
Across Wisconsin, programs are popping up to connect gardeners with food pantries, including:
- Feed MKE Pilot Program in Milwaukee
- Giving Garden Program in Portage County
- Rhinelander Area Food Pantry Garden in Oneida County
- Lincoln County Community Gardens
- Madison Area Food Pantry Gardens, and more
Each one is part of a bigger idea: that solving hunger doesn’t always require giant warehouses or million-dollar grants. Sometimes, it starts with a single garden bed.
That’s what we believe at Meals n Feelz—real food solutions exist. We just need to support the people already doing the work.
So if you believe everyone deserves a full plate—not just those with the right zip code—help us grow this movement.