Hoisting himself onto a big green tractor, Shawn Duffy rides around tending to rows and rows of cabbage, preparing to harvest hundreds of pounds of leafy greens to donate to food pantries across Licking and Franklin counties.
“We are a way for the community to be involved in solving community challenges,” Marci Leveillee, executive director of the Garden for All, said about the unique structure of the garden.
The Garden For All has operated in New Albany for the past six growing seasons, and expanded operations to a new garden in Johnstown in March. The garden was first launched by Duffy and his wife, Catherine, a priest at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church in Dublin, to fill a need they saw in the community.
Feeding America, a national network of food pantries, says that in 2023, there was a 14% food insecurity rate across Licking County, and 15% across the state of Ohio. Both of the Duffys continue to work to bridge the gap and tend to the produce they hope to provide to those in need across Franklin and Licking counties.
“Many food pantries struggle to provide produce for families and those in need,” Leveillee said. “Especially in the winter months, it is harder for pantries to provide produce, and that is where we come in.”
Leveillee notes that this isn’t just about food insecurity.
“It is also about providing healthy eating for communities,” she said. “Fruits and vegetables are crucial for long-term health and fighting illnesses.”
Despite Licking County’s close proximity to a major city, much of the county has limited access to healthy, affordable food. Data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which tracks the number of grocery stores and fast food restaurants in every county in the U.S., shows that Licking had just 0.13 grocery stores per 1,000 people in 2016 – among the lowest in the state.
And much of Licking County could be considered a food desert, meaning the area “has limited access to affordable and nutritious food, usually in impoverished areas in both urban and rural settings,” according to the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council.
The Garden For All has already been able to provide 30,000 pounds of food in 2025 alone, and they predict they’ll be able to donate 50,000 pounds in 2026. And by 2029, The Garden For All hopes they will be able to provide 100,000 pounds of produce.
The organization’s fresh produce goes to six different food pantries throughout Licking County.
“What is great about partnering with these food pantries is that we are able to provide what they need and know the community wants,” Leveillee said. “Last year, some of our food pantries in Franklin County asked if we could grow okra, because a lot of the community there was looking to make some of their favorite foods but had limited access to it.”
The organization looks to have a variety of produce and thinks ahead about accessibility, according to Leveillee. “This year we grew watermelon, but it is important to remember that not everyone will have a big enough cutting board or knife to break down a large watermelon, so we grew smaller to personal-sized melons to donate instead.”
The Garden For All can function due to a network of volunteers and community partners across the county. These partner organizations include the New Albany Community Foundation and the Licking County Foundation, which is a grant partner for the Johnstown location. Partners and sponsors like these are crucial to the success of the organization.
Volunteers also play an important role.
“Students and master gardeners are the biggest volunteer base we see, and we also host groups to come volunteer,” said Emma Clark, the garden’s community engagement AmeriCorps VISTA member. “Recently, the United Way came out and volunteered their time.”
The volunteers sometimes come in groups from companies such as Pharmavite and EMH&T, which have frequently volunteered.
“We make sure we have different jobs for everyone, we have had ages 1-90 volunteering to help feed their neighbors,” Leveillee said. “We have positions for people who need to be sitting or have other physical needs. We will always find a job for everyone.”
The Garden For All is not simply a produce farm that donates to food pantries. It is a community-wide initiative to allow every community member to play a role in helping their neighbors in times of need.
Those who would like to volunteer can find details at https://thegardenforall.org/volunteer.
Delaney Brown writes for TheReportingProject.org, the nonprofit news organization of Denison University’s Journalism program, which is supported by generous donations from readers. Sign up for The Reporting Project newsletter here.