Sierra Harvest

Sierra Harvest is committed to growing a resilient local food system from which everyone in the community benefits. We focus on the intersections where farmers, children and the greater community connect through food to build a network that supports the needs of each group, and amplifies their interdependence and impact.

Farmers: We preserve agricultural land and offer farmers training, mentorship, and market development. Rescuing lost agricultural land, training young farmers to cultivate it, and developing a local and regional market for farm products means that we have a network of financially viable farms providing food and jobs for the community, while preserving our beautiful agricultural heritage. Local organic farms providing fresh, seasonal, nutrient dense food decreases our community’s reliance upon transported food and secures our supply of nutrition through any emergency.

Children: We provide experiential learning through tastings, scratch cooked school meals, school gardens, and on working farms. Educating children and their families about local seasonal food, how it’s grown and how it’s prepared, means that children cultivate an appreciation for fresh food and the farmers who grow it. Children ask parents to purchase that yummy food they just tasted in class and at local businesses, and farmers realize an expanded market. Through the planned scratch-cooked school meal program, children will receive delicious and healthful school meals with as much local produce as possible, providing the nutrition they need to ensure healthy bodies and academic success, mitigating the growth of chronic childhood diseases. Our educational farm hosts classes and families year round, and 3 weeks of farm summer camp.

Community: We make growing your own food possible, and we rescue food that would otherwise go to waste, delivering it to the people who need it most. Building backyard gardens for members of the community who suffer from food insecurity means that people can grow their own food and reclaim a healthful diet. With over 110 Sierra Gardens now built in Western Nevada County, hundreds of gardeners, their family, and their friends are sharing fresh organic food—that they grew themselves! Future gardens will expand to community and collaborative models, and a multi-purpose garden for the local hospital. Rescuing the remainders of farm harvests and backyard orchards, allows local food pantries to have fresh, local seasonal food to provide to their clients.

Sierra Harvest has four Ends Policies that guide their long term approach to achieving their mission. This is an abbreviated list of, please see our 5-Year Strategic Plan for full version, www.sierraharvest.org/strategy2020/

Ends Policy #1
A community that values and eats an abundance of fresh, local, seasonal food.

a) Provide experiences that educate people by connecting them to fresh, local, seasonal foods; thus enhancing their mental, physical and emotional health
b) Be a food and farming center that connects people and builds relationships which support a community culture that values and invests in a thriving local food economy
c) Help people make choices to buy fresh, local, seasonal food at stores and restaurants by ensuring that these foods are among choices available when purchasing fresh or prepared food
d) Transform meal programs in schools, correctional facilities, hospitals, senior centers, and other local institutions to provide scratch cooked meals that are sourced from local and regional farms and ranches in a way that reduces food waste and supports viable businesses


Ends Policy #2
Successful local farmers that are increasing sustainable food production

a) Work with partners to sustain existing farms and support new organic ones through the protection and acquisition of local and regional farmland
b) Support the growth of local farm businesses through training, education, collaboration and exposure to cutting edge knowledge, infrastructure and innovation
c) Host and produce events that showcase organic farmers and their products and connect them to buyers to expand markets for local farms. Create ways for people to be on farms and ranches, engaging with one another and their food
d) Facilitate relationships between local farmers and purchasers helping them overcome the challenges of working together

Ends Policy #3
Equitable access to fresh, local, seasonal food

a) Create programs that build and strengthen partnerships to increase the ability of vulnerable, economically insecure and historically marginalized populations to access affordable local food
b) Facilitate the procurement of local and regional nutritious foods by institutions that serve vulnerable, economically insecure, and historically marginalized populations.
c) Consult with grocers and local restaurants to offer locally sourced, healthy, seasonal food in a way that is inclusive of all populations
d) Educate and inspire potential recipients of public food assistance programs to utilize that assistance for fresh fruits and vegetables

Ends Policy #4,
A thriving, financially viable non-profit loved by the community and by the people who work at Sierra Harvest

Space limitations prevent a full listing, please see our 5-year strategic plan for more details: www.sierraharvest.org/strategy2020/

Successful results are the product of a thriving organization built upon a network of capable people. In just over 12 years, we have grown from a small, volunteer movement to an over $1-million-dollar organization with 19 staff members, approximately 200 volunteers, and strong collaborative ties throughout the public and private sector of Nevada County and immediate region. Sierra Harvest depends upon a professional staff, experienced board, committed business and foundation partners, industry experts, enthusiastic volunteers, and individual community members to ensure our capacity to create change. Sierra Harvest also invests in professional development, leadership coaching, and strengths training for all staff and board members. The viability of the organization is informed from our Ends Policy #4:

A thriving, financially viable non-profit loved by the community and by the people who work at Sierra Harvest.

a) Centralize programs and operations in a location that builds in efficiencies, serves as a hub of activity to showcase the organization’s programs and partnerships and cultivates community connections.
b) Develop strong and sustainable fund-raising capabilities and nurture a collaborative network of individuals, non-profits, businesses and government agencies invested in a vibrant local food system.
c) Sustain financial resources and secure a return on investments that allow the organization to maintain and expand programs to achieve its mission and vision.
d) Invest in talent development that fosters a culture of innovation and excellence.
e) Create a flexible work environment where staff are valued and rewarded for their contributions.
f) Nurture a board of directors that provides governance, policy and strategic direction to the organization and is able to lead through transitions in executive leadership.

Children
Farm to School: This program is in 33 schools and reaches 96% of Western Nevada County students. Farm to school focuses on experiential learning opportunities that include farm field trips, school gardens and produce stands, “Harvest of the Month” tastings and more. Over 50% of students report eating more fruits and veggies at home after trying them at school.

School Food: A scratch cooked school meal pilot program featuring fresh, local, seasonal foods, was launched in 2017. The school saw a 100% increase in lunch sales and made revenue on the program for the first time. The success of this pilot has initiated implementation of a new, 9 school district collaborative meal program to be launched in 2022. "Foothills Fresh" school meal program will address hunger, academic achievement, and the physical and emotional well-being amongst our student population.

Farmers
Farmer Training & Support: The Farm Institute works to increase sustainably grown fresh food in Nevada County, providing farming education, business skills, local farm land, and new markets. 111 farmers have gained the skills to start or expand their business and are now farming over 100 acres of land; 25 local farmers have been connected to business and institutional buyers; and 40 acres of farmland has been purchased for agricultural easements in our community.

Community
Sierra Gardens: The Sierra Gardens program has built over 110 backyard gardens for low-income families and institutions to ensure that everyone benefits from local, nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables. 100% of participants said their children now eat more vegetables, and 60% fewer have to visit a food pantry.

Gold Country Gleaners: Our volunteer gleaning teams harvest local produce that would otherwise decay in the field, and bring it directly to the Interfaith Food Ministry (IFM – our local food pantry). IFM distributes it to 8,000 individuals who would otherwise have minimal access to fresh and organic food. This program has rescued over $200,000 worth of produce from farms, farmers’ markets and orchards.

What’s Next
In partnership with 9 county school districts and the Chef Ann Foundation, the Foothills Fresh Scratch-cooked School Meal Program for all Western Nevada County schools will be launched in 2022. This will provide access to scratch-cooked meals featuring local farm ingredients for 10,000 school children, approximately 60% of which qualify for free or reduced lunches. Existing school kitchens will be developed into commissary kitchen facilities, capable of supplying healthy, scratch-cooked meals to other institutions and non-profits that serve at-risk populations such as seniors.

In partnership with the Bear Yuba Land Trust and BriarPatch Food Co-op, the Forever Farms campaign secured and protected 37 acres of agricultural land for organic farming in 2020. We are currently evaluating additional acres and anticipate several hundred acres will be protected over the decades.