For Homeowners and Farmers
Sierra Harvest's Gold Country Gleaning Program organizes volunteers to harvest fresh, seasonal produce that would otherwise go to waste and donates it to Interfaith Food Ministry which distributes to over 8,000 of those in need.
Don't let your food go to waste or become a mess and have volunteers come harvest for you. Your extra fruit can make a meaningful difference for the one in ten people in our community who need healthy food.
Our goal is to get fresh healthy food to those who need it. If you would like to donate surplus crops to the Sierra Harvest Gold Country Gleaning Program, and you are within western Nevada County, please fill out the form below and our volunteers will come harvest your fruit and bring it to local food assistance programs, or call our office at 530-265-2343 or contact gleaning@sierraharvest.org
Gleaning sites are prioritized based on quantity of crop available and location. We may not be able to get to every site each year. We cannot glean sites with less than 25lbs of fruit on a given harvest day. We also do not glean sites that have been sprayed with non-organic herbicides/fungicides.
We encourage you to register your crop even if it's not ready yet or you aren't sure there will be a crop this year. This allows us to call you and schedule in advance before the crop gets too ripe. The more lead time we have the easier it is to find volunteers.
Additionally, Sierra Harvest will pick up crops which have already been gleaned.
Food donors may be eligible for tax deductions or tax credits and will receive documentation of crop types and amounts to submit with tax returns.
If you have less than 25lbs of produce or have the ability to pick your own, you can pick and bring in your gleaned produce to Interfaith Food Ministry yourself at 440 Henderson St, Grass Valley on Mon,Wed, Fri 8:00am to 1:00pm and Tues and Thurs 7:30am to 9:30am. Thank you!
Protection:We properly train, supervise and hold liability coverage for all volunteers who glean with us.
Federal Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act - In 1996, President Clinton signed this act to encourage donation of food and grocery products to non-profit organizations for distribution to individuals in need. This law:
- Protects you from liability when you donate to a non-profit organization;
- Protects you from civil and criminal liability should the product donated in good faith later cause harm to the recipient;
- Standardizes donor liability exposure. You or your legal counsel do not need to investigate liability laws in 50 states; and
- Sets a floor of "gross negligence" or intentional misconduct for persons who donate grocery products. According to the new law, gross negligence is defined as "voluntary and conscious conduct by a person with knowledge (at the time of conduct) that the conduct is likely to be harmful to the health or well-being of another person."
- Protects you from liability when you donate to a non-profit organization;
- Protects you from civil and criminal liability should the product donated in good faith later cause harm to the recipient;
- Standardizes donor liability exposure. You or your legal counsel do not need to investigate liability laws in 50 states; and Sets a floor of "gross negligence" or intentional misconduct for persons who donate grocery products. According to the new law, gross negligence is defined as "voluntary and conscious conduct by a person with knowledge (at the time of conduct) that the conductis likely to be harmful to the health or well-being of another person."
For more information: Feeding America.
