Fighting For
A More Generous
World.
The idea for Katie’s Krops began with a 9-year-old girl and a 40 pound cabbage. In 2008 Katie brought home a tiny cabbage seedling from school as part of the Bonnie Plants Third Grade Cabbage Program. She tended to her cabbage and cared for it until it grew to an amazing 40 pounds. Knowing her cabbage was special, she donated to a soup kitchen where it helped feed over 275 people. Moved by the experience of seeing how many people could benefit from the donation of fresh produce to soup kitchens, Katie decided to start vegetable gardens and donate the harvest to help feed people in need.
Become A Grower
Katie’s Krops now has 100 gardens growing across the country and has donated thousands and thousands of pounds of fresh produce to people in need. The mission of Katie’s Krops is to empower youth to start and maintain vegetable gardens of all sizes and donate the harvest to help feed people in need, as well as to assist and inspire others to do the same.
950,000lbs+
Fresh Produce Donated
325+
Gardens Planted
Visit Our
Outdoor
Classroom
Join us at Katie’s Krops Outdoor Classroom in our Flagship Garden
at the Crossroads Community Church in Summerville, SC.
Wear your support proudly!
Our new Katie’s Krops merch is here — shirts, hats, and mugs that give back. Every item helps us plant more gardens and feed more families.
Become A
Volunteer Today!
Do you live in the Charleston/Summerville area? We would love for you to volunteer and help us grow a healthy end to hunger. Volunteers of all ages are welcome to help. Be a part of supplying food pantries, homeless shelters, cancer centers, Katie’s Krops Dinners and families in need with fresh produce. Join our volunteer list to be informed of all opportunities to grow an end to hunger.
What happens when we believe in the power of youth, the power of a garden, and the power of community?
A garden grows.
A family grows.
And a community grows stronger. 🌱💚
This year, Big Green helped Katie’s Krops start a new garden in Ladson, SC — creating so much more than a place to grow vegetables. It created an opportunity for four amazing young gardeners, the Z Crew, to learn, serve, and give back.
This spring and summer, they grew tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, squash, beans, carrots, radishes, beets, and fresh herbs — donating their harvest to the Fresh Community Fridge at the Summerville YMCA and the Free & Fresh Fridge at the Charleston County Library, where fresh produce is available to neighbors who need it.
And perhaps the most meaningful harvest wasn’t measured in pounds. It was the excitement of pulling their very first radish from the ground — something they planted from a tiny seed and grew into food they could share with someone else.
As new gardeners, they’ve discovered that helping others doesn’t have to be complicated. Sometimes, one garden can make a difference.
Their words to Big Green say it beautifully:
“Because of your generosity, we’ve been able to create so much more than a garden—we’ve created a place to learn responsibility, perseverance, generosity, and service.”
This is why Katie’s Krops exists.
We believe young people are capable of changing their communities. They grow compassion, confidence, responsibility, and hope — and when they place their harvest into the hands of a neighbor, that impact grows even further.
We are incredibly grateful to Big Green for believing in Katie’s Krops and helping us plant this garden. Your generosity didn’t just put seeds in the ground. It gave a family the opportunity to grow together, serve their neighbors, and become part of something bigger than themselves.
This is what happens when we believe in youth.
This is what happens when we believe in gardens.
This is what happens when we believe every community deserves access to fresh, healthy food.
A garden in Ladson is growing — and with it, so is hope.
Thank you, Big Green, for helping us plant it. 💚
Aug 26
Want to help restock the Free + Fresh Fridge at the Y but aren’t sure how? Join us as we stock the fridge and show you just how easy it is!
Simply:
✨ Bring your donations
⚖️ Weigh your items and record your donation
🥕 Place like items together in a bin
🧊 Stock the fridge!
So, what makes a great donation? I’m glad you asked!
Fresh produce, milk, eggs, butter and other grocery staples are all wonderful ways to help keep our fridge stocked. You can also donate non-perishable items by following the same process and placing them on the farm stand next to the fridge.
Every donation makes a difference and helps ensure our neighbors have access to fresh, healthy food. Thank you for being part of this community! 💚
Aug 25
Last week was a whirlwind, and it ended on the most amazing note! 💛
Together with our friends at REV Federal Credit Union and the Charleston RiverDogs, we were able to #UptheGood in our community with an incredible workday in our flagship garden!
Our amazing volunteers worked tirelessly in the heat to repair garden beds, amend the soil for fall planting, and harvest 166 lbs of fresh produce to share with our neighbors through the Free & Fresh Fridge at the Y.
We are so grateful for every volunteer who showed up and got their hands dirty, and for incredible community partners like REV and the Charleston RiverDogs who continue to help us grow our mission. What a blessing!
Thank you, REV & Charleston RiverDogs, we are so grateful for y’all!
Aug 24
Yesterday, our amazing youth members of Team Monarch migrated to Ashley River Park to celebrate pollinators and one of our favorite citizen science projects - The Great Southeast Pollinator Census!!!
We’re so grateful for an opportunity to get out into the community, spread the word about our efforts to help the local monarch population, connect with other leaders in education and conservation and celebrate all things pollinators! Thank you Ashley River Park for an incredible day 🦋🌱🐝
Aug 23
What an AMAZING Katie’s Krops Dinner yesterday! Our hearts are filled with gratitude and we have so many people to thank for helping make yesterday such a success❤️
815 meals served, more than 200 half gallons of milk shared, delicious desserts baked, and more than 200 grocery bags filled and shared with our guests!
A HUGE thank you to our incredible new friends at Buddrow BBQ, who generously smoked the most delicious pork for our guests—right in the extreme heat! We are so grateful for their incredible commitment to serving others and blessing our community with such a wonderful meal.
We are so grateful to our friends at Lowe’s Foods and the many other generous donors who made it possible for us to share these grocery bags with our community. A special thank you to our friends at Tommy’s Express for designing and donating reusable bags for us to distribute items in!
And a very special shoutout to Trent, our wonderful solo parking lot volunteer, who helped direct traffic in the 120-degree heat! We are so grateful for his dedication and willingness to serve our guests, even in those incredibly hot conditions.
To our friends at the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office and the Summerville Police Department, we are so grateful for your help, kindness, and generosity in sharing meals and delivering them to local shelters.
And to everyone who donated milk, baked desserts, delivered meals, volunteered, and helped spread the word about our dinners—THANK YOU! We are beyond grateful for the incredible, giving community that makes these dinners possible.
We can’t wait to see you at our next dinner on Thursday, September 17th! ❤️
Aug 22
For the past 16 years, every Katie’s Krops dinner has been rooted in one simple idea: love for our neighbors and our community. What began as a way to share fresh food and kindness has grown into a tradition of bringing people together, ensuring that everyone feels welcomed, valued, and cared for. We are deeply grateful to the volunteers, donors, partners, and supporters who make these dinners possible. Your generosity helps us nourish not only bodies, but also the sense of community that makes these gatherings so special. Thank you for helping us continue this mission, one meal at a time.
Free Katie’s Krops Garden-to-Table Dinner — Thursday, August 20 💚
Our next Katie’s Krops Dinner will be held Thursday, August 20, at Summerville Baptist, 417 Central Ave, Summerville. Dinner service will begin by 4:00 PM. As always, no ID is required.
We are seeing an increasing number of families in our community needing extra assistance with food, and this is exactly why we host these dinners — to provide a delicious, nourishing meal to our neighbors without the worry of cost.
This month’s dinner will feature:
Pork tenderloin, rice, tossed salad, fresh fruit, and homemade desserts.
A few friendly reminders:
• We operate on a first-come, first-served basis and cannot hold or reserve meals.
• Requests for a large number of meals for people who are not in attendance will be evaluated case-by-case, based on the number of meals available and the needs of those at the dinner. Our team makes the final determination.
• For everyone’s safety, please remain in your vehicle throughout distribution and follow the directions of our parking lot volunteers. Neighbors without vehicles are welcome to walk or bike up.
• Please treat our volunteers with kindness and respect. They generously give their time to make these dinners possible.
On dinner day, our small team is focused entirely on preparing and serving 700 meals, so we are unable to respond to phone calls, texts, emails, social media messages, or comments that day. Thank you for understanding.
Aug 19
Who said Jonny Pops were just for cooling off after a long day of garden work?
We’re always looking for ways to incorporate education into every aspect of the garden—and that includes counting and sorting our Jonny Pops sticks!
These kiddos counted 316 sticks that we’re saving for our Jonny Pops Kindness Is Golden rewards. 🍧 We’re making our way toward our goal of 1,000 sticks, which will help us earn a popsicle freezer to store even more sweet treats!
We love a fun math project!
Aug 18
Before you plant your fall garden, don’t forget to prepare the garden you already have! Good soil + sunlight makes = a happy garden!
As summer crops finish up, it’s the perfect time to clean out your beds, pull weeds and give your soil a little refresh.
And don’t forget to look up! As we move into fall, the sun sits lower and the days get shorter, which can change how much sunlight your garden receives.
A little cleanup, a little soil prep and a quick check of your sunlight can go a long way toward setting your fall garden up for success.
Your future fall garden will thank you!
Aug 17
Wondering how to know if your watermelon is ready to harvest? Lilly is here to help!
One of our favorite ways to check is by looking at the curly Q’s (tendrils) near the top of the plant.
Brown and dried up? Your watermelon is ready to harvest!
Still green? Give it a little more time.
Happy harvesting! 🍉
Aug 16
Back by popular demand for YEAR FIVE! 🌱
Join Katie’s Krops and Stephen Chapman of Bonnie Plants for our annual Fall Gardening Class! Learn what to plant, when to plant it, how to care for your garden, and how to enjoy fresh, homegrown produce all season long.
📅 Monday, August 24
🕕 6:00 PM
💲 $20 per person
👩🌾 Adults only
Space is limited and this class fills up every year! If you’ve attended before, we kindly ask that you give someone new the opportunity to join.
Register through the Outdoor Classroom page on our website or at https://katieskrops.com/events/adult-fall-gardening-classs/.
We can’t wait to grow with you this fall! 💚
Aug 15
Choosing your fall crops? Don’t just think about what you want to grow, think about how long you want your garden to keep giving!
Some crops are what I like to call “one-and-done.” Cabbage, beets and cauliflower are great examples. When it’s time to harvest them, you’ll also say goodbye to the plant.
Then you have the crops that just keep on giving! Kale, collards, Swiss chard and lettuce can be harvested a little at a time, allowing the plant to keep growing.
Broccoli is another favorite. Harvest that big main head, but leave the plant in the ground and it can reward you with smaller side shoots for weeks!
Finally, there are the “good things come to those who wait” crops—hello, Brussels sprouts! They take their time, but a little patience can pay off, and they are so satisfying to harvest!
The key? Plant a mix! Add some quick harvests, some crops that keep producing, and a few that take a little longer.
Because the best fall garden isn’t one that gives you everything at once—it’s one that keeps giving all season long! 💚
Aug 14
A big day for melons in our flagship garden! 🍉
Today we harvested 87.5 lbs of cantaloupe and watermelon! The cantaloupes went to the Free & Fresh Fridge at the YMCA, and our watermelons will be shared with the Murray Church Food Pantry tomorrow.
We love seeing the fruits of our labor make their way to our neighbors in need 💛
Aug 13
Overgrown okra 🤝 crafts!
When your okra grow a bit too big and woody to eat, they make the perfect stamps for crafting with!
Cut into the okra with a sharp knife and remove the first layer of seeds you see. Dip the end in your choice of paint color and then stamp on paper to make beautiful flower prints. The prints are great for making cards, wrapping paper, or framed garden art.
We hope you’ll try this project and share your okra garden art with us! 💚
Aug 13
You’ve decided to start your fall garden, so what’s the next step?
Knowing your zone! Your USDA Hardiness Zone, that is. ❄️
Your growing zone is basically your garden’s cheat sheet. It helps you understand what will grow well in your area and when to plant it.
Fall gardening also comes with one extra thing to think about: frost! You’ll want to know your first frost date so you can figure out how much growing time you have.
Once you know your zone and frost date, you can start deciding what to grow and when to get it in the ground.
And remember, your zone is a starting point. Mother Nature doesn’t always follow the rules, so keep an eye on your local weather, too!
Aug 12
Have you ever grown cucamelons? Or maybe I should ask, have cucamelons ever grown themselves?!
We’ve never intentionally planted them in our garden, yet somehow they pop up every year! They reseed themselves so well that they’ve become one of our best garden volunteers.
They look like tiny watermelons but taste like a crisp cucumber with a hint of citrus.
Be sure to harvest them when they’re about grape-sized for the best crisp texture—and keep picking to encourage even more to grow!
We’d love to know, do you grow cucamelons? Or do you have another garden mystery that somehow finds its way in every year? Let us know 🌱
Aug 11
Today we brought produce from our garden to the Free & Fresh Fridge at the Summerville Family YMCA, so we wanted to answer a few of your Q+As! ❤️🌱
When is the fridge restocked?
The fridge is a community effort! Katie’s Krops and community members donate produce, eggs, milk, and other non-perishables as they are available. Because harvests vary, we can’t provide exact restocking dates or times.
How do I get produce?
The fridge is located right when you walk into the Y. Let the front desk know you’re there to use it. Bags are available, and everything taken must be weighed and signed out so we can track our impact!
How do I donate?
Bring your garden produce, eggs, milk, or other non-perishables to the Y, weigh them, log your donation, and place them in the fridge. Initials are fine if you prefer not to share your name!
Do I need to be a Y member?
No! The fridge is open to anyone in our community experiencing food insecurity. ❤️
A little reminder: The purpose of this fridge is to help our neighbors who truly need access to fresh food. We know it may be tempting to grab something after your workout, but we kindly ask that you leave the food for those experiencing food insecurity.
Please refer to the rules posted above the scale if you have any questions. Thank you to everyone helping make this community resource possible!
Have a question? Drop it below! 👇
Aug 10
We’re not saying there’s a perfect time to start a garden… but if there was, it would definitely be fall!
If you’ve been dreaming about growing your own food, this is your sign to start.
🍂 Cooler temperatures mean happier plants (and happier gardeners!)
💧 Less watering because the soil holds moisture longer.
🐛 Fewer pests to battle.
🥬 Some of the easiest vegetables to grow—lettuce, spinach, carrots, radishes, kale, broccoli, cabbage, and peas—actually thrive in the cool weather, and many even taste sweeter after a light frost.
Whether you have a big backyard or just a few pots on your porch, fall is the perfect season to build your confidence in the garden.
Don’t wait until next spring. Plant a few seeds, get your hands in the soil, and you might be harvesting fresh vegetables all the way into winter!
Aug 9
One of my favorite parts of Katie’s Krops has always been learning and growing alongside all of you 🌱
Whether you’ve been with us since the beginning or just recently joined our community, I want to make sure we’re sharing content that inspires you, teaches you something new, and helps you grow!
So, I have a question...
What would you like to see more of?
Would you enjoy:
Gardening tips and how-to videos?
Seasonal planting guides?
Solutions for common garden pests and diseases?
Stories from our incredible Katie’s Krops Growers and the impact they’re making in their communities?
More behind-the-scenes moments from our flagship garden?
My personal journey—the successes, the failures, and everything I’m learning along the way?
Recipes using fresh garden harvests?
Volunteer highlights and community stories?
Or is there something else you’d love for us to share?
Drop your ideas in the comments. I truly read them, and your feedback helps shape the stories, resources, and inspiration we create.
Thank you for being part of this amazing community. I can’t wait to hear what you’d like to see next ❤️
Aug 8
Yesterday we stopped by our friends at Lowe’s Foods, and I am truly overwhelmed by the generosity of this incredible community. 💛
Thank you to every person who has donated and helped make this possible. Your kindness and generosity mean so much, and every contribution helps us continue providing food and hope to our neighbors through our monthly Katie’s Krops dinners.
A very special thank you to the amazing team at Lowe’s Foods on Dorchester Road for your partnership and for supporting our community in such a meaningful way. We are so grateful for your kindness and for everyone who continues to give so generously.
Aug 7
Our favorite mornings are spent together in the garden ❤️
Aug 6
