HAYDEN - When Heidi Benson planted the first seeds for her donation garden in 2018, she had no idea those tiny capsules would yield so, so much.

"Every year, it’s just grown and grown,” Benson said. “What started with donating food to 20 people grew the next year, and the year after that. And, now, it’s turned into what it is today.”

PBandJ Haydeners, a nonprofit Benson started, now has seven volunteers and has become a community asset, providing free farm-fresh produce to people.

“We expect nothing in return,” Benson said. “We’re just out there giving away free produce to everyone who needs it.”

It started with small donations to a local food bank from Benson's backyard garden and quickly grew to a mobile produce donation station, where volunteers delivered over 6,400 pounds of produce in 2022. The goal this year is to donate 8,000 pounds at 17 locations throughout Kootenai County — and even more in the future.

It has taken five years for PBandJ to expand to where it is today, but the team of volunteers has a vision for how it will grow even further, with community help and some grant-funding.

Benson started donating produce in 2018 to her son’s school, where there were stockpiles of Top Ramen and macaroni and cheese, but no fresh food. She brought food from her garden, and then bought fresh food from grocery stores to give away. But the more she gave away, the more she began to see how vast the demand was.

“It’s a big need,” Benson said. “Fresh produce is a huge need. Fresh produce and fruits and vegetables shouldn’t have to be a luxury.”

Now Benson is a board member of the nonprofit and shares the responsibility of running donations with two other board members and four volunteers.

They host donations at senior centers, community centers, schools or this year at the Veterans Stand Down, and wherever they find the greatest response from the community. They also donate to Head Start or Children's Back Packs, and they rarely have any food left over.

Next year, the group hopes to expand to more locations. The board has a wild dream of one day being able to provide twice weekly donations, and maybe being able to pay someone a full-time wage to run the organization and work with volunteers who spend 10-15 hours each week bringing food to the community.

These days, volunteers spend their time in the garden, weeding, planting and watering. They then harvest before piling hundreds of pounds of produce into the backs of their cars and delivering to Spirit Lake, Post Falls and everywhere in between.

“It’s definitely personally fulfilling,” PBandJ treasurer Deana Banks said. “We get the most fulfillment, though, when we show up with produce. We watch people come for their neighbors, to pick up food for a single mom who couldn’t make it, and they bring her produce. We hear those stories when we’re out there and it’s really rewarding.”

Initially, the garden project required a financial investment. Benson sold her house to get a larger garden space to be able to grow more food. Now, she has an 800-square-foot plot dedicated to growing produce.

PBandJ also hosts pumpkin sales and pumpkin giveaways, during which donations are accepted to fund the food budget.

The community also donates food from personal gardens. Volunteers from PBandJ pick fruit from their trees to share with the community.

“When we first started this, we didn’t realize how many people were going to shove money into our pockets,” Benson said. “Even people who come to receive our stuff donate money. It was really amazing. People really want to contribute. I just didn’t realize how awesome our community is until we started doing this.”

Giveaways are now funded entirely through donations along with an annual cornhole tournament/fundraiser. This year’s tournament will be at 2 p.m. June 24 at Hayden Eagles. Cost to enroll a team is $10. Off the Hook food truck will be on hand to provide food.

Revenue from ticket and raffle sales pays for seeds, soil, gas and other expenses.

“100% of the proceeds from our event go back into the produce and providing the community food,” Banks said.

When growing season ends in North Idaho, donations pay for food from grocery stores, to give away year-round, or fresh fruit that can’t be grown locally, such as pineapples and bananas.

“My crazy dream would be twice the amount of this 800-square-foot garden,” Benson said. “And, maybe, twice as many volunteers.”