PENDLETON, Ind. (AP) _ Officials at a central Indiana prison say inmates at the facility are learning to grow gardens while donating thousands of pounds of vegetables to local food pantries.

Inmates at the Correctional Industrial Facility in Pendleton, 30 miles northwest of Indianapolis, have harvested more than 4,000 pounds of food midway into the harvest. Superintendent Wendy Knight says the program not only helps food pantries, but also allows offenders to learn how to garden from master gardeners.

The medium-security facility that holds about 1,400 inmates is distributing vegetables all over Madison County by working with six local pantries and feeding sites.