You can usually find a good supply of canned and dry staples at community food pantries and banks. But fresh vegetables are sometimes hard to come by.  But later this year, food banks in the Monroe, Mich., area will see a harvest of fresh produce from a just-planted community garden.

The garden is a joint project of UAW 723 and the Global Engine Manufacturing Alliance (GEMA). This past Monday, union and management workers planted squash, cucumbers, green beans, peppers, tomatoes and onions in the 8,000-square foot community garden.

The fresh veggies are destined for community food pantries, the God Works Community Meals program and individuals who need help, says  Michel J. Smith, AFL-CIO Community Services liaison with the Monroe County United Way.

Smith says Chris Hornbeck, UAW Local 723 Chaplaincy Committee chair, began planning for the garden about three years ago, with the help of UAW Local 723 President Robert Cebina and GEMA plant manager Kevin Sell, and the plan bloomed into reality with this week’s planting.

GEMA is a wholly-owned Chrysler subsidiary and the UAW members at the Monroe County plant make fuel efficient, four-cylinder engines for a variety of automobiles.