The Sierra Harvest staff and board believe that our volunteers are the cream of the crop and we most certainly dig them! We immensely appreciate our 347 volunteers who donated almost 4,000 volunteer hours in the past year – their passion and enthusiasm for serving 40 gallons of soup at an event, picking more than 1,100 pounds of fruit to donate to a local food bank, teaching a messy and hands-on lesson to hundreds of students trying massaged kale salad for the first time, or entering countless survey responses from children tasting kumquats all adds up to thriving nutrition and educational programs serving Nevada County families! Children ask for new veggies at the store when shopping with parents, families eat fresh vegetables grown in their own backyards and hundreds of Nevada County residents meet a local farmer in person and purchase directly from them – all because of these dedicated and passionate volunteers contributing their skills, time and enthusiasm!
We celebrated the volunteers at our annual Farm Potluck and Volunteer Appreciation party last Thursday amidst towering sunflowers, tomato plants drooped heavy with fruit, clucking chickens at the Food Love Farm, our educational farm serving more than 2,000 students annually. Heather MacAdam volunteered her time to share her exquisite music, guests enjoyed a farm tour and a feast of seasonal foods and we shared our gratitude to the volunteers. The celebration culminated with a creatively rewritten rendition of Snow White’s Heigh Ho song as staff marched in with hard hats, picks, shovels, and other gardening implements to honor our 2018 Volunteer Crew of the Year: Steve Danner, Larry Diminyatz, Suzanna Elkin, Christian Gutt, and Matt Marquet.
Off to the garden they go!
This volunteer crew builds gardens from barren soil for homeowners (often lower income) on an almost weekly basis so families can enjoy fresh produce grown in their own backyards. Their Sierra Garden not only nourishes them – they are happier, healthier and more satisfied with their lives! According to Edy Cassell, the Sierra Garden Program manager, the crew has such fun together as they work incredibly hard digging post holes, building fences, installing irrigation systems, planting seeds and then they sprinkle it with a little magic dust for a successful and bountiful garden for these families!
For all the volunteers who couldn’t make it to the event, we extend to you our enthusiastic gratitude for all you do to serve our children, farmers and families in creating a dynamic local food system. We couldn’t do it without you!
A special thank you also to Flour Garden Bakery for donating a beautiful cake that served our 75 guests!
Meet new friends, develop new skills and gain a sense of accomplishment
Join our Sierra Harvest family and volunteer today! For more information about volunteering contact Miriam Limov at miriam@sierraharvest.org or complete the online volunteer application. If you are a new volunteer to Sierra Harvest, you can even earn discounts at BriarPatch Food Co-op!
