Sierra Harvest is extremely grateful for the $1500 donation that Gale Pylman and Soroptimist International of Grass Valley contributed to help fund the educational farm that we are in the process of establishing.
Soroptimist International is a worldwide organization that works through service projects to advance human rights and the status of women. The majority of Soroptimist’s work to improve the lives of women and girls is done at the local club level. Clubs assess the needs of their communities and then undertake projects that will best fill those needs.
The Grass Valley Soroptimists are aware of the daily struggle small farmers face in making a living by supplying good food for others, and were looking for a way to directly support small, local farmers. Former Grass Valley Soroptimist club president Gale Pylman notes: “85% of the money we raise goes back into the community. I’m thrilled about this donation going to support the New Generation Educational Farm being developed by Sierra Harvest.”
Sierra Harvest’s New Generation Educational Farm will engage students in cultivating, tending and selling vibrant, nutritious foods to schools. The two-acre farm will serve as an outdoor classroom to teach science, math, literacy, and social skills through gardening and culinary activities, working in collaboration with Food Love farm to meet the demand for farm education in Nevada County. The farm will also support our farmer training program by giving farm interns a place to literally get their hands dirty in running a real farm for the benefit of the school communities it will serve.