Last August we shared our excitement about AmpleHarvest.org, the creation of Gary Oppenheimer, a New Jersey-based master gardener who realized that the bounty of backyard gardens could become a meaningful source of healthy food for our nation’s food pantries and soup kitchens.

In the past six months we have been dazzled by the strides Gary has made in advancing AmpleHarvest.org’s mission. The number of food pantries and soup kitchens that have joined AmpleHarvest.org’s registry has grown exponentially… AmpleHarvest.org was recently recognized by the US Department of Agriculture and, the one advance we are most excited about is the new iPhone app which allows gardeners to locate nearby pantries and kitchens that would welcome their extra harvest. The app was made possible with a grant from the Good People Fund and when we tried it we were really impressed! Imagine standing in your garden, pulling out your iPhone and locating a nearby facility to take your tomatoes, cukes and other fresh produce. We know this investment will go a long way in helping to feed the more than 49 million Americans who are currently struggling to find enough food.

Even Business Week picked up the story…http://investing.businessweek.com/businessweek/research/stocks/news/article.asp?docKey=600-201001281758KRTRIB__BUSNEWS_26550-49E0JPEPCMF3N7R55321ASSK5O&params=timestamp%7C%7C01/28/2010%205:58%20PM%20ET%7C%7Cheadline%7C%7CBRIEF%3A%20iPhone%20app%20connects%20growers%2C%20food%20pantries%3A%20Program%20uses%20the%20phone’s%20built-in%20GPS%20system.%20%5BThe%20News-Sentinel%2C%20Fort%20Wayne%2C%20Ind.%5D%7C%7CdocSource%7C%7CThe%20McClatchy%20Company%7C%7Cprovider%7C%7CACQUIREMEDIA&ticker=AAPL:US )

Further confirming our satisfaction was one app user who recently wrote:

This app is really well designed. What a great program! Attractive! Easy to use! It throws a bunch of push pins into a Google map to locate all local food pantries. AmpleHarvest.org promises to regularly update as they are sent info on additional food panties. This could easily become a means for the hungry to get wholesome food from their neighbor’s surplus — everywhere in America! If you have ever gardened, you know that there comes a time when there are just too many cucumbers, tomatoes, etc. Won’t this app come in handy!…