Second Harvest Food Bank invites local gardeners to share their backyard bounty. Most home gardeners and community gardens harvest more fresh produce than their families and neighbors can consume, and we welcome them to donate their abundance to those who need it most. By sharing fresh fruits and vegetables lovingly grown in the backyard, the community can help nourish their neighbors in need.
We strive to provide our clients with the most nutritious and healthy foods possible, therefore the produce we accept must be sound, free of mold or decay, and have enough shelf life to remain in good condition for at least 3-5 days. We ask that produce is properly packed in cardboard boxes, crates or other sturdy containers in order to prevent damage and bruising. The harvested fruit and vegetables can be delivered to either our San Jose or San Carlos warehouse where the food will be properly stored and made readily available for distribution to our network of partner agencies.
Donation drop-off hours and locations
If you have questions about donating your backyard produce, please contact:
Terry Witzel
Food Resources Manager
Office: 408.694.0046
Email: twitzel@shfb.org
LBAM Quarantine Information
We are pleased to announce that the California Department of Food and Agriculture has recently approved donations of backyard produce, although there are some restrictions in place to prevent the spread of the Light Brown Apple Moth.
Fruits and vegetables grown in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties can be donated to the Food Bank without inspection as long as the produce is donated within the county it was grown. Gardeners cannot donate fruits and vegetables with small holes, leaf material, or signs of feeding damage caused by a caterpillar. This exemption from inspection only applies to fruits and vegetables, including leafy green vegetables.
Assistance with Harvesting Backyard Produce
Village Harvest is a local nonprofit organization that harvests fruit from backyards and small orchards with their team of dedicated volunteers. The harvested food is then donated to local hunger-relief agencies to help feed the community. Village Harvest and Second Harvest Food Bank have a long-standing relationship and continue to work together to link excess food with the people who need it. Village Harvest is a wonderful community resource to utilize if you have more produce to donate than you can pick yourself, or if you are looking for a meaningful volunteer opportunity. Please check out their website! www.villageharvest.org