“Their connection is to the soil and ours is to the people, and making sure that both of those things go hand in hand,” said Christine Alford, the executive director of Denver Food Rescue.

Denver Food Rescue operates 24 no-cost grocery programs across the city that are run by the residents of those communities. Donations from Fresh Food Connect’s network of gardeners help to stock those shelves with vegetables and fruits grown right in the same neighborhood.

“What we’re seeing is that a lot of food pantries across Denver and even across the country don’t have enough fresh produce,” Birdsong said.

What's more, the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated many of the food insecurity issues in America. This time last year, in the middle of the pandemic, nearly 20 percent of U.S. children reported food insufficiency. According to NPR, "The organization Feeding America says it has seen a 60% average increase in demand during the pandemic. And about 40 percent of the people showing up these days have never needed help before."

So far, Birdsong says 1,400 gardeners across the country have signed up for the Fresh Food Connect app. The app’s operators hope to increase that number to 5,000 by the end of this year’s growing season, issuing a challenge to backyard gardeners to participate.

“We’re aiming to create the largest network of gardeners in the United States,” Birdsong said. “Grow an extra row, grow an extra few plants, and start really being intentional in what you can give back to your own neighbors.”

“Growing with intent is knowing that you have enough space for yourself and also some extra space for somebody else,” Alford said. “Moving toward more of a relationship-based garden is what we’re hoping to do, in building that true authentic connection with community.”

Jason Foster is a multimedia journalist at Rocky Mountain PBS. You can reach him at jasonfoster@rmpbs.org.