Where to Donate Your Milpa Harvest: Community Ideas That Work
Learn practical places to donate your milpa garden's produce. We cover food banks, nursing homes, shelters, churches, and community groups—plus what to avoid and how to talk about soil health while you give.
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0:00 One of the main purposes of the first acre program of course is to donate at least 50% of the produce to people within your community that really have a need for these fresh vegetables.
0:12 These greens, these different products that will come from the milpa garden. So we get asked a lot, 'Hey, what are some suggestions of where we can go and do this because we're just...'
0:22 Not exactly sure where to start so you know obvious ones like your local community food bank, that's an obvious choice. But think a little more creatively.
0:31 Think outside the box a little bit. Nursing homes we have people that donate to nursing homes, Salvation Army, homeless shelters, things like that. They're really thankful, they're really
0:42 Grateful to do that, take it to your church. You know, a lot of times I know at our church, somebody has a box of zucchini or tomatoes setting out there. Just free to take if you want them.
0:52 That's a good way to do it as well. And as you're doing this, make sure that people know that this is how it was grown, that it was grown in this really diverse.
1:01 Community of plants is a way to not only help feed the people but it's a way to teach people about soil health, about the importance of diversity. You can even talk about the fact that you know this.
1:22 Don't take this to the farmers market to try to give it away because we don't want to discourage people that have worked hard growing.
1:30 Produce and they're trying to sell it to make a living or a profit. We don't want you to take the free stuff there to compete with them. That kind of ruins some of that local economy.
1:40 So I would not do that but for giving away, look at your community groups. You know, go to the chamber of commerce and ask them, hey, what groups in town might be able to utilize some of.
1:51 This fresh produce so don't be afraid to ask questions. There's people in your community that will know the answers.
1:58 Again, one of the reasons for doing milpa is to build your community as well as build your soil.