November 10, 2025 – By Michele Nowak-Sharkey, UC Master Gardener of Mariposa County – The partnership between the UC 
Master Gardeners of Mariposa County and local growers continues into its 6th year, bringing fresh produce to local organizations that address food insecurity in the county. This year so far over 5,200+ lbs. of produce has been distributed.
The Plant A Row program (PAR) of the UC Master Gardeners functions as a liaison between people who grow produce such as local farmers and home gardeners with extra veggies in their garden and distributes that produce to organizations such as Manna House, Mariposa Senior Services, The Alliance for Community Transformations, Heritage House, MiWu-Mati Healing Center, Idle Wheels Senior Mobile Home Park, Mount Bullion Conservation Camp, Mariposa Family Resource Center, Set Free Church, Mountain Crisis Services, Creekside Apartments along with Connections Emergency Housing, the Coulterville Café and the Farm at Worman Mill Community Pantry.
PAR is grateful to be able to collect produce from the Farmer’s Market vendors; Raw Roots Farm in Catheys Valley, Shasky Farms of Le Grand, Serrano Farms, also in Le Grand, Happy Goat Farms of Mariposa and the House of Greens in Fresno. Food stuffs are also collected from local home gardeners who brought their extra produce to the Master Gardeners Farmer’s Market table each week.
In addition to the produce from the Farmer’s Market vendors and home gardeners, the UC Master Gardeners has a weekly pickup directly from Happy Goat Farm of Mariposa, which a 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity with a mission to grow produce and give it away to people in need. This weekly pickup is a main reason why the amount of produce distributed has reached such high numbers.
The UC Master Gardeners of Mariposa County want to thank all those that contribute to the continued success of this program and encourage gardeners in the area, as they plan their plots for next year, that they consider planting an extra row or two for fellow Mariposans in need.
It truly is a community effort to address food insecurity!
UC Master Gardeners of Mariposa County are located in Mariposa at 5009 Fairgrounds Rd. Visit our website at https://cemariposa.ucanr.edu/Master_Gardener, Facebook - UC Master Gardeners of Mariposa County or Instagram - ucmariposamg for more gardening information and events. UC Master Gardeners staff a Helpline serving Mariposa County, including Greeley Hill, Coulterville, and Lake Don Pedro (209) 966-7078 or mgmariposa@ucdavis.edu).
