When her son died, a woman turned to gardening. Now, she feeds her entire community

Jenna Fournel and Leal Abbatiello, 14, pose for a portrait at their home in Alexandria, Va. on April 30, 2022. Since the start of the pandemic in 2020, Fournel and her son expanded their garden and began harvesting and giving away produce for free to their community. (Eric Lee for NPR)

Almost every Saturday morning, Jenna Fournel pulls an old wooden table into her front yard and piles it with about 30 pounds of produce.

It all comes from her garden and is free for anyone to grab. There might be greens, eggplants, mini-watermelons, beans or peppers; whatever is in season. Oftentimes, there are also homemade breads and muffins, herbs and flowers.