• April 12, 2011

Kraft's Triscuit and nonprofit partner Urban Farming, which last March launched a home farming initiative that created 50 community gardens in urban areas around the country, are this year expanding the program to 65 gardens spanning 20 cities. These will include five gardens based in low-income housing developments in Chicago and Los Angeles.

The expansion was announced today during an event in New York City's Madison  Square Park, one of three live events held as part of  a nationwide "Triscuit Home Farming Day." The New York event featured remarks by a representative of the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development, and "Gardening by the Yard" host Paul James providing attendees with tips and an opportunity to plant fresh chives. Ground-breaking events for new community farms were also held in Tampa, Fla. and Los Angeles.

The Triscuit/Urban Farming-supported gardens yield fresh fruit and vegetables for the local volunteers who tend them. Any excess food is donated to local food banks.

Triscuit's social network for the initiative, HomeFarming.com, features extensive information and tools for planting and maintaining home farms. This year, the brand is doubling the number of Triscuit boxes that will carry cards containing plantable basil and dill herb seeds, to 8 million.