Sierra Harvest loves our volunteers — we are especially grateful to this duo, Cathy Williford and Tim Butler, for all the work they did to make our potlucks successful this summer!
SH: How did you get involved with Sierra Harvest?
CW: Healthy food and education has always been a passion of mine/ours. One of the reasons we moved to this community is the access to good, healthy local food and people who value it as much as we do. When we moved here a year and a half ago, I saw an article about Sierra Harvest in the paper and I knew it was an organization worthy of our support.
SH: What do you do for SH?
CW: Last year I worked with in the school garden at Yuba River Charter, worked with 6th graders at Seven Hills School, and helped with field trips to Lost Hill Farm. I taught and supported lessons on things like planting, harvesting, compost piles, harvesting seeds, and transplanting seedlings. My husband Tim and I also helped with the potlucks for the Farmer’s Guild and the community, doing the setup, take down and making sure the farmers had everything they needed.
SH: How did you get into food?
CW: Between us, we have six kids and four grandkids. My kids motivated me to learn more about how to provide good nutrition for my family. I continue to educate myself and surround myself with people who are passionate about food.
SH: What do you love about volunteering for SH?
CW: We feel like we have become part of the community with the people at Sierra Harvest and others in this community. Being part of SH has given us opportunities to connect with many different people who have similar values, and we value those relationships.
SH: How else do you support the local food community?
CW: We enjoy the local farmer’s markets and we shop for our produce where we can support the local farmers.
SH: What do you do when you are not volunteering for SH?
CW: We’ve been spending a lot of time making improvements on our property. We are excited about our new fence and look forward to working with Farmer Leo on a new Sierra Garden. I am also rediscovering my love of cooking and look forward to having our own fresh produce to harvest.
We are grateful for the many things that Sierra Harvest does to connect and empower this community with food and farming. We want to encourage everyone to get involved on any level they can to support this worthy cause.
SH: Thank you, Cathy and Tim!