Founder/Executive Director
AmpleHarvest.org
CNN Hero and Huffington Post Game Changer Gary Oppenheimer started AmpleHarvest.org, an online network to connect home and community gardeners with food pantries that lack a steady supply of fresh produce. With 50 million Americans in food insecure homes, and 40 million Americans growing fruit, vegetables and herbs in home gardens, Oppenheimer, of Newfoundland, N.J., saw a natural synergy and has so far connected more than 5,000 food pantries across all 50 states with fresh produce. In 2011, through AmpleHarvest.org, more than 20 million pounds of produce is donated by gardeners to pantries nationwide. (To see more Marigold Ideas for Good Contest winners, click here.)
