Plant an extra row, Help our pantries grow.

Fresh produce items like those you can grow in your own home garden can help provide a wider variety of options at your local food pantry while expanding the number of healthy items available on the shelves. We accept produce donations year-round from everyone from large retailers and farms to your backyard raised beds.

This growing season, plant an extra row of produce items in your own backyard and donate them to the DMARC Food Pantry Network.

Integrated Studio

Food donations may be dropped off at the DMARC Food Pantry Network Warehouse, located at 100 Army Post Road on the south side of Des Moines. Donations can be dropped off at the East entrance/donation doors located off Chaffee Rd.

Monday -Friday from 11a.m. to 3 p.m.

Special accommodations needed? please contact us.

Know before you grow

We’ll need at least 24 hours to get it out into a food pantry.

When it makes sense to do so, always wash and clean necessary items. It saves our warehouse staff time, making it so food gets to those in need quicker! Don’t letyour hard work go to waste.

Blemishes are okay, produce ripe past usefulness is not.

When dropping off items at our warehouse our staff will assist with weighing the items on-site and filling out a donation slip. Bringing in items from your community garden? We can weigh larger donations on-site too and help you keep track of your donations across the growing season.

Wanting to start a garden?

Visit Iowa State Extension’s Growing together site to learn more about starting community gardens, food safety, and other ways to help your neighbors eat the rainbow.

Learn more

Items we accept:

  • potatoes/sweet potatoes
  • bananas
  • apples
  • corn
  • carrots
  • grapes
  • oranges
  • tomatoes
  • melons
  • broccoli
  • bell peppers
  • Culturally diverse options (kohlrabi, Rhubarb, Okra)
  • and more!

Is it safe for me to donate these items? What if they go bad?

DMARC partner food pantries and the food pantry warehouse follow the Good Samaritan Food Donation Act to protect you, the receiving agency and our clients. The Act was created to encourage the donation of food and grocery products to qualified non-profit organizations and provides liability protection to food donors.