Arboretum volunteers, staff produce record harvest for food bank donation

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Throughout this year’s growing season, volunteers and staff worked to plant, cultivate and harvest a wide variety of produce in the gardens of The Arboretum at Penn State.

Those efforts wrapped up the week before Thanksgiving break with one final delivery of kale and a few other vegetables, resulting in a record-breaking 2,872 pounds of produce that was donated to help the State College Food Bank in its mission to provide food security to people in Centre County.

That tops the previous record of 2,116 pounds donated in 2023.

Aubrey Tallon, volunteer program manager for the Arboretum, said the produce donations are one way the Arboretum works to make connections and support the community that surrounds it.

“We put a lot of value in these local community ties,” Tallon said. “Donating to the State College Food Bank is one of the ways that we can give back to the community that gives so much to us.”

Tallon said the volunteer opportunities at the Arboretum, which is part of Penn State Outreach, provide a unique way for people from different walks of life to come together and do something positive for the community.

“It is a really nice way for folks from the student population, community population and even folks just passing through for the weekend to get some time to get their hands in the soil, enjoy the environment, enjoy nature and this beautiful arboretum,” Tallon said.

Avid gardener Rich Dimarcello has been volunteering with the Arboretum for 14 years. He said it means a lot to him to be able to give back by doing something he loves.

“If you enjoy gardening, this is the most fun thing you can do. You get to do a little bit of everything, and you get to provide a really nice environment for people to come and enjoy,” Dimarcello said. “We deliver over a ton of food to the food bank. It is all fresh, it is all healthy. There are no pesticides used. So, they certainly enjoy everything we bring them and make good use of it.”

The State College Food Bank works to provide food security, directly or indirectly, to people in Centre County, with a goal that no one in Centre County goes hungry.

Ben Schell, assistant operations manager at the State College Food Bank said having fresh, locally grown produce is a boon for the food bank and those who shop at the organization’s produce pantry, making an impact that goes deeper than many might realize.

“Because of the Arboretum’s standing in the community, there is such a big contribution of dignity and security beyond just the calories. People don't often realize how much cultural appropriateness and dignity are part of feeling food secure, and the Arboretum is just a tremendous support in that regard,” Schell said. “We can see it on folk’s faces when they are shopping. We say it came from the Arboretum. That leads them to try new foods that they didn’t know before. They are really a great partner for us.”