And here, all these years I was thinking that the giving of the gift was
supposed to be for the pleasure of just giving a gift, huh! I must have
missed something in my notes the day that was taught in Gift Giving 101.
Sounds to me like you have Martyrdom confused with Joys of Giving.

HOWEVER, if you'd really LIKE to give your produce away to somebody who'd
really appreciate it and could honestly use it AND don't expect it to be
done up like Mad Martha handing out hostess gifts why don't you take it to a
local food bank (the people who run these things are often pleased to pick
this up at your house,btw). I had a very prolific garden in Seattle and
after keeping what my family would consume, handing out goodies to the
neighbors (not gift packed) and canning and freezing what I'd use for
winter, I dropped off at least two boxes a week at the Phinney Ridge Food
Bank. This was not only given to those who came to the food bank but also in
preparation for the Sunday afternoon drop-in dinner that was always cooked
up for the homeless by a local church. I dropped the food bank boxes off on
my way to work at 5am, just slid them into the little doorway and left and I
was too busy getting ready for Monday on Sunday afternoon so I was never
around either place to be petted and fawned over and showered with gratitude
for all my back breaking toil and magnanimous generosity so a similar plan
may not appeal to you.

Val


"jfrost" wrote in message
...
I have recently become more firm in my opinion about
how to handle my extra produce, and thought I would
pass my humble rantings on.......

Recently I have been feeling very much like the ant in the
"Ant & the Grasshopper" story. In the past, I have picked loads
of Bell Peppers, hot peppers, cherry tomatoes, & salad tomatoes
out of the garden and gave it away in plastic grocery bags.
It always irritated me that when i gave away my extra produce
to friends& others, that it wasn't valued as much as it probably
should have been, but they hadn't done hard labor
to produce it so how could i expect them to fully empathize.

I have worked through years of summers, even when the heat index is
over 110deg. loaded 100's of full pickups of gravel/ mulch/ compost
weeds etc/etc/etc/ plus all the other labor & monies for organic
amendments
it takes to keep it managed, {& I don't have a working back/ feet/ or
knees
anymore} while the Grasshoppers were inside reading books in 65deg
air-cond.

When I ask why they don't just want to plant a tomato, some will honestly
say they don't want to go to the trouble.

So here is my solution........

It's all in the packaging !!! I no longer will throw stuff in a plastic
bag
& hand
it to anyone like they are doing Me! a Favor.

Instead I will now give it away Only as my Thanks You's to people.
It will have a proper presentation, in wicker baskets with raffita,
ribbons & bows & lovely custom printed "Thank You" labels, & maybe
special
recipes;
essentially it will now be given as if it is a $40-$60 mail order gift
basket
whenever I have a need to give someone a Thank You.

I bought a tall wicker laundry basket at Wal-M. that I will keep in my
mudroom,
I also went to the local Thrift Stores & bought bunches of baskets that
have been
sitting there for years for about 50cents ea. The Laundry basket is a
perfect place
to store the assortment of small baskets, & whenever I need to make a
basket;
I just choose the size I need, go to the garden and pick whatever is
harvestable.

since I have flowers in the garden, I also bought a collection of the
glass
vases
that the thrift store has for 25cents, and use them for my Flower-vase
Thank-Yous.

anyway, I like this new approach, it make me feel less resentful of all
the
hard work,
and I enjoy being able to give something nice as a Thank You.

well, thanks for listening!