This organization is always at the forefront of advocating for feeding people and helping others on the local level across the nation
Ample Harvest does its BEST to share knowledge about gardening and food and aiding others.
I THANK AMPLE HARVEST for ALL their shared wisdom!
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Thank you, AmpleHarvest, for continuous coverage of the NEED and SOME SOLUTIONS for hunger in our communities. Each year I donate as much as I can of my garden's spring/summer crops: oranges, grapes, plums, broccoli, tomatoes, onions, etc. Ample Harvest encourages everyday folks (like me) to help however we can.
AmpleHarvest.org has been an amazing group to work with! Their mission to help others is heart warming. We need more people/groups to reach out like this. Thank you for the work you do for others!
I oversee a demonstration garden, and while I find a lot of fulfillment in growing the plants and harvesting the produce, I find the most fulfillment when I drop a load of fresh veggies off at my local foodbank. I appreciate the work that AmpleHarvest.org is doing to fight food insecurity nationwide and keeping usable & yummy fruits and veggies out of landfills.
AmpleHarvest.org is a great resource for home gardeners to share their harvest with people who would not normally have access to fresh produce. As an associate with Bonnie Plants, LLC, we have been working with AmpleHarvest.peg for the past 3 years.
AmpleHarvest.org serves an incredible need in an extremely efficient way. By educating gardeners to grow and donate their surplus vegetable harvests and linking them with a local food pantry -- AmpleHarvest.org is helping to fight food insecurity at a time when we need it most. Bonnie Plants is proud to partner with such an incredible organization - and is committed to advancing the mission of AmpleHarvest.org.
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AmpleHarvest.org is an incredible organization. I've both seen and heard first hand the impact this nonprofit makes on communities and individuals around the country. Food insecurity is an unfortunately near ubiquitous issue in our country. Nearly every neighborhood has someone in need. AmpleHarvest.org is an efficient way to help. In this time of supply chain challenges and grocery out-of-stocks - educating home gardeners to share their surplus harvest with a food pantry in their neighborhood is a powerful tool to fight food insecurity. In as little as 24 hours, fresh - healthy produce can go from a home garden directly to the table of someone who needs it most. I'm proud to play a small part in the big mission.
Thank you for creating an easily navigable way to access resources to assist those in need! Your dedication to combatting food insecurity has been a crucial resource for organizations working to eliminate food deserts in the city and beyond.
AmpleHarvest.org’s mission is so simple yet powerful. I had no idea I could donate my ample harvest until I met with Gary. They’re platform is a great resource to help gardeners find local food banks that accept homegrown produce! I look forward to planting and growing more to help my community each year!
AmpleHarvest is a fantastic organization that helps bring healthy food to communities that need it the most. We also have partnered with them in the to get seeds for community gardens. Greatly appreciate all that they do and see grateful to their outreach efforts.
while i myself am not a home gardener, i endorse the practice as a way of saving the expense of supermarket shopping [including gas for the car to get there]. in addition, nonprofits like ampleharvest.org encourage sharing of excess growth with needy neighbors, thus improving life in their communities.
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ampleharvest.org certainly deserves top ranking as a nonprofit! it provides information without cost to anybody. it's an online service that enables home gardeners to locate food pantries in their areas to which they can donate excess fruits and vegetables. there's no charge for the information. it performs what in yiddish is called a mitzvah!
I am a license social worker and mental health therapist, known and subscribe to Ample Harvest since 2019. Apple harvest has been great in coordinating shared community food resources before and during the pandemic. I applaud Gary for his great work in serving humanity, especially during this difficult time.
Nobody should have to worry about food insecurity. We support several local food banks and having a national organization that helps raise awareness and helps people find their local food pantries is incredibly valuable.
A few years ago Ample Harvest inspired me to plant extra bush beans to harvest for my local food bank. The appreciation shown when I delivered them was such a rewarding experience that now I have more string bean plants each year than any other crop.
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Because of Ample Harvest I decided to add a few extra rows of string beans to my vegetable garden with the idea I could donate the extra beans to my local food bank. Because I don't like to thin my seedlings as I should, I ended up with taking over ten pounds of string beans to the food bank this year. What an easy and fun way to help others. I have found that the joy one gets from giving a helping hand, no matter how small, outweighs the work or time that one puts into the effort.
Ampleharvest.org is a non profit that allows people with excess produce to locate a food pantry in their area that accepts fresh produce for people in need.
They offer a great service by reducing food waste and providing it to needy families.
AmpleHarvest has been a target for our philanthropy for some time. It's a major and highly successful and reliable operation. We're particularly pleased to see that it has spread beyond its US origins. We imagine that access to Internet has been an important element of its ability to find and coordinate source and consumers of freshly grown foods.
Vint Cerf, Internet pioneer
It's the small things in life that really make a difference while we grow cuturally to see a nonprofit such as this attract the attention it needs.
Review from Guidestar
AmpleHarvest.org is a simple solution to bring fresh food to the food insecure. It’s ability to connect backyard gardeners and farmers to a network of food pantries has distributed millions of pounds of fresh food to be distributed in local communities.AmpleHarvest.com is a technology solution to a complicated education problem.
AmpleHarvest has a remarkable track record of advancing the mission to end hunger across our country. With a robust network of donors and food pantries, AH serves a critical role in helping at-risk families one healthy meal at a time.
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What has most impressed me about this organization is the root cause approach they took towards ending hunger and food waste.
Instead of looking for more food year after year like every other charity, they recognized that the real solution was information. Gardeners were not aware they could donate plus they didn't know where or when to donate. AmpleHarvest.org informs them that they can donate the food and they enable them to donate the food... and that's it.
Sounds simple? Yes it is ... and that's what makes it an ideal efficient and permanent solution.
I heard their founder give a talk and was blown away. Check out their videos and you'll agree with me. They aren't a food bank, they aren't a gardening program and they aren't gleaners. They are in a space of their own across the country.
I support them.... and so should you.
Since being connected with AmpleHarvest.org, I have been able to see the impact of their simple, but focused mission. It is incredibly important to give those impacted by food insecurity access to fresh, healthy foods. Not only are they connecting home gardeners to food pantries for donation, they’re also educating recipients on how to prepare and utilize their fresh bounty. Proud to work alongside their passionate team!
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What has set AmpleHarvest apart from other food organizations is the efficiency and scale at which they can operate while remaining insanely cost efficient. We have made it possible for the nations 60 million gardeners to share their results with 9000 pantries that are vetted and verified by an awesome and dedicated staff. Based on estimates done by economists who have partnered with us, we have moved millions of pounds of food onto tables for pennies a pound.
For those who look at the world from the lens of ROI (Return on Investment), this is a deal that can't be beat. For those who want to feed as many as possible, each dollar donated feeds far more people than a pallet of canned foods.
Thanks for your support.
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When I set out to push a STEM agenda in volunteering, I quickly found that the undercurrent that was pulling the whole effort down was stress students feel in homes that are challenged by food. If you aren't eating well, you aren't paying attention at school -- no amount of pushing is going to help.
AmpleHarvest appealed to me as the right approach to take by leveling technology to create a 10x multiple -- each dollar in results in FAR FAR FAR more food being distributed to people in need. This was far better than any other food program I investigated.
The team is driven, hardworking, and extremely cost sensitive. It amazes me to see how far our executive director takes each dollar. This makes being both a donor and a board member the right way to spend my time. If we make AmpleHarvest successful, we don't just solve a food crisis, we solve an education crisis. Awesome.
From the moment I heard about AmpleHarvest.org, I was impressed its incredible impact with such a simple solution: connect a naturally occurring surplus (excess produce grown by home/community gardeners) with a dramatic need (fresh, healthy produce for food insecure people). I especially love that any person can use the pantry locator to help solve the problem of hunger in their own community. Now as a member of the board, I'm so impressed by how efficiently and effectively the organization is run and the outsized impact it has.
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AmpleHarvest.org has a simple solution to a challenging problem: connect home gardeners who have excess produce with the food pantries that feed their local communities. There is a naturally occurring surplus of food in our communities via home gardeners who often have harvests that are too large for their families to consume. By making it easy to find local pantries who will accept fresh produce, those gardeners are able to donate fresh food, not only alleviating hunger, but doing so with nutritious food.
I love that this organization impacts local communities across the country and so thoughtfully works to address such an enormous challenge. The team is nimble and judicious with every dollar received. It's an honor to work with AmpleHarvest.org.
I've worked with the team at AmpleHarvest.org for two years and I am so impressed at what they have achieved and their commitment to reducing food insecurity in this country. They make it so easy for gardeners in this country to share their surplus fruits and vegetables grown with a nearby food pantry. The AmpleHarvest.org team is dedicated to finding more growers and more pantries and matching them up to get fresh, healthy food to those in need.
I heard about Ample Harvest though one of the emails I received from garden seed & supply companies. After reading Ample Harvest's website, I discovered that many food banks will accept fresh produce from home gardens! Using their Food Bank locator, I found a panty just 5 minutes from my house. I then recruited 15 other gardeners in my neighborhood to donate their extra produce as well. By the end of this season, our neighborhood had donated nearly 1,000 fruits and vegetables to the Hope Center in Churchville, MD.
Ample Harvest advisement to act locally is simple, sustainable and yields great substantial benefit to our community. Our 4 local food pantries express extreme gratitude for our weekly donations during the growing season. Our gardeners benefit by ensuring their hard work doesn't go to waste.
So delighted that AmpleHarvest connected us with our local food bank. We donated just over 300 lbs of garden produce to our local community. Thanks for helping us to help others!!
Love this charity. They are really helping with not only hunger in America but also helping with nutrition!
AmpleHarvest is a wonderful organization that encourages local gardeners to give their excess harvest to their local food banks. Food insecurity is a real issue and having access to fresh fruits and vegetables is a very positive reward for those in need!
AmpleHarvest has provided an avenue for those of who grow more than we will ever eat to not feel wasteful any longer. It has been a great experience to be associated with their efforts for distributing food to those in need. I will continue to garden and provide others with the fruits (and vegetables and herbs) of my labor.
What a fantastic organization! Really excited about what Ample Harvest and Gary Oppenheimer are doing for those in need.
I planted a massive garden this year and had way more than my family could eat. AmpleHarvest provides a great way to share with those in need and there's nothing better than homegrown produce. Great organization!
A great organization that allows people to share in their bounty while helping others in need - right in your own community. AmpleHarvest.org is an amazing cause that provides a tangible answer to the basic question of "what can I do to help?"
Great organization filling a gap for fresh food for those in need. It’s not only about helping to feed the needy but also feeding them healthy food.
Helped us find a local food pantry to donate our extra harvest from our community gardens this year.
AmpleHarvest is an awesome nonprofit which seeks to solve the issue of hunger. Their partnership with thousands of food pantries across the country help myself and many other gardeners take their excess harvest and donate it to those who need it.
During COVID, the organization has done a great job of making contactless delivery a smooth and simple process. In a time when food security has been an issue for many, AmpleHarvest has been doing a great job of reallocating food resources to hungry people.
What a great way to connect home gardeners with their local food banks. I always have some extra from my Bonnie garden!
Great mission and brilliance in its simplicity. There's so much extra homegrown harvest grown by individuals each year that it's a shame any of it goes to waste. AmpleHarvest.org makes it easy to find local food pantries, so gardeners can get fresh, homegrown produce into the hands of those in their communities who need it the most.
It is a great community came together for good reasons such as informing people to create awareness and develop projects as well.
This is a mean, lean organization that gets a lot done on a small budget. It's only flaw is that it's impact, while substantial, is not always easy to pick up on.
AmpleHarvest plays a critical role in advising gardeners where to go to donate their excess produce and in helping hungry people find it. This helps address the growing problem of hunger, while simultaneously minimizing waste that would otherwise create dangerous gases that pollute our environment. It's a win-win!
Fantastic concept and incredible execution. Cannot speak more highly of the cause, organization and people involved!
This is a fantastic non-profit with an innovative approach to end hunger and food waste with technology.
AmpleHarvest.org is one of those rare organizations that provides an astounding impact by leveraging an extremely lean organizational structure. It also has effectively applied existing technologies to get food that otherwise would be wasted into the hands of people who can really use it.
Worked with AmpleHarvest.org for last three years. Great organization. Very committed to ameliorating hunger via backyard and community gardeners.
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AmpleHarvest.org is a unique organization solving a problem that few are paying attention to ie getting the excess fresh produce form 42 million gardeners to hungry Americans. They operate extremely efficiently and are completely dedicated to their mission of reducing food waste and ending hunger in the US.
Ample Harvest has helped us be able to reach out and give a hand up to others. Their FB page is a great place to learn as well. They help with making sure there is less food waste, places for us to donate fresh produce, and that people get to enjoy the basic things many take for granted - produce. They sent us seeds this year for donating use. That little packet of seeds..we took it to the local womens shelter and built raised beds with small fencing for the beans to grow on, added tomato plants, a herb garden and added marigolds/flowers for both pest control and to help the plants, bell peppers, squashes, zuchinnis, okra, 7 types of melons, and corns. We also made a small compost area with them. The residents enjoyed the control it allowed them to do this, the peacefulness of gardening, being able to teach their children how to garden and the fruits of their labor. There was a need we didnt know existed - til that little packet of seeds came in the mail. Thank you.
. I love this. Food waste in the US is astronomical. By giving left over fresh ptoduce to pantries helps in so many ways. Feeds the hungry while giving them fresh food that they never get.. The nutrition is great. Saving seeds to hzve continued fresh vegetables is what is needed.
THIS nonprofit is amazing! So much growth, like a ripple in a pond. Happy to support them. Would only like to see more (free) publicity. And please disregard my first response, they FAR EXCEED my expectations! Thank you.
Connecting food growers with pantries. Need more support in making even more connections to reduce waste and feed more people
They are connecting growers with hungry people, and spreading the message about food insecurity and solutions.
They successfully make it possible and easy for producers and recipients to help each other. Excess produce to those in need while it's fresh.
Ample Harvest is an amazing concept turned into a very successful way to help those who need help with healthy eating for the neediest.
They are getting extra crops into the hands of food pantry's. They found the bridge to make that happen. They can't improve much better than they're doing it now.
Helping to reduce food waste and bring healthy produce to feed those less fortunate. More food banks to accept these type of donations in South Florida where the growing season is during the winter.
I can't offer improvements but positively it is one of the few resources that addresses peoples nutritional needs while also providing much needed food. Healthy option!
With the recent news of the dangers of climate change it's more important than ever to make sure everyone gets the sustenance they deserve. AmpleHarvest.Org is leading the way to a better planet.
One of the best solutions to food insecurity, leveraging gardeners, to increase both the quantity and quality of the nutrition in our local communities. I took advantage of the great research of AmpleHarvest.org to find a local food pantry to donate my excess produce, and I've been donating ever since. I've also developed a deeper connection to this food pantry. It's a great non-profit, and if you're a gardener or a food pantry, check it out.
Reducing food loss across America in a way no other program does. Great example for other nonprofits. Needs more exposure.
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Doing amazing work to get freshly harvested food to 1000's of food pantries. Every $ I donate worthwhile. Gamechanger solution to hunger
AmpleHarvest.org is eliminating food waste by connecting gardeners to food pantries desperately in need of fresh food. The impact is immense.
Ample Harvest is doing the essential work of bring together local growers with local food pantries to 1. eliminate waste; 2. end hunger; 3. grow resilient communities. There are a great many organisations working to address hunger in America, but Ample Harvest takes a systems approach that creates the essential conditions for long-term change in a way that no other organisation in the field does. I am proud to support Ample Harvest, and encourage everyone with an interest in being of service to check out their model, and support them in whatever way they can.
As a board member and an avid gardener, AmpleHarvest.org certainly addresses two chronic needs: 1) eliminating food waste from a successful home garden season harvest and 2) healthfully feeding those in need of nutritious food options. It is a brilliant idea which I am a proud supporter.
The team is tireless and deeply innovative! They find ways to leverage existing systems and operate within an efficient model to provide immediate, sustainable solutions to the issue of food insecurity. And they have a specific focus on scalability.
They are successfully creating a resource for people to find food pantries that accept fresh produce to help reduce food waste and hunger.
I do not personally have a garden, but I know about this organization since its inception. I think ampleharvest.org is a wonderful nonprofit where gardeners donate food from their gardens that they cannot use personally to food pantries that need fresh fruits and vegetables. I know it helps a great number of people.
Ampleharvest.org has a great mission. They help promote food banks and connect people to them. They help to prevent waste and provide more nutritious food to the people that need it most.
I was thankful to find ampleharvest.org. It was easy to locate a place I could bring my extra garden harvests too from their website. The cause is great and really simple but incredibly needed. I’m a small backyard gardener so no large batches.
Unfortunately i could only find a food bank which would reply from the list. They were always grateful and assured me they did have small orgs who would come and use the herbs and veggies. In a larger community I think I would be able to find small dinnertime pantries where small batches might be very useful. Maybe there should be some review or checkin on the pantries signing up. 3 in my 15 mile radius didn’t return calls or emails when I reached out to ask when I could bring in harvests.
I will continue to be part of the effort through ampleharvest.org no matter where I live! It’s easy and a great cause to volunteer with!
AmpleHarvest.org is helping to fill a gap with many food pantries. Fresh produce is typically hard to find at food pantries, relying on more shelf stable products. Now AmpleHarvest.org is helping connect local sources of produce, mainly local gardeners with their local food pantries. Visit our website to connect with AmpleHarvest.org.
Helping make durable connections between those with excess food and those in need of it; with little infrastructure cost
AmpleHarvest.org operates a tech platform to eliminate food waste by linking food pantries and gardeners with excess produce. It's a highly efficient way to match hungry people with nutritious food and an important tool in battling food insecurity in the US.
AmpleHarvest has done a great job of making it easy to find where to donate my excess garden produce. I wish they could tell more people what they do.
The staff is excellent--very caring and helpful. They are doing important work and seem to genuinely believe in the mission at a very personal level.
Innovative approach to reducing food waste. Making a significant impact to provide fresh food to reduce poverty and alleviate starvation.
The amazing work this organization does is changing our food system.
Most other charities spend their time and energy (and money) trying to respond to problems - over and over which is all well and good, but AmpleHarvest.org actually works to fix the system that is creating the problems in the first place.
Instead of buying food and feeding people, AmpleHarvest.org works to help America use the fresh food it already has first. Why didn't anyone think of that before?
My donation is spent on fixing a broken system and not just patching it. I'm paying for technology and talent to fix the system but not for food! Wow!
Been donating every year since AmpleHarvest.org started - thrilled to see its growth, impact and energy. It's been money very well spent.
After retirement I was in search of a new way to give back to the world. When I heard the AmpleHarvest.org story and mission, I knew this was the non-profit I wanted add to my list of charities to support. I think everyone in America is aware of how much fresh food we waste amidst the problem of people of millions being food insecure. AmpleHarvest.org is working hard to change that scenario. Please check out their website and read more about the ingenious way AmpleHarvest.org connects gardeners to local food pantries to end hunger and malnutrition. They have my solid vote for No Food Left Behind.
I find AmpleHarvest.org to be a wonderful, free resource for both gardeners and food pantries! It affords gardeners an opportunity to donate their extra vegetables that would have otherwise been wasted and it helps pantries get much need fresh produce to their clients. It's a win-win for everyone!
I've watched AmpleHarvest.org from its inception, growing to over 7000 food pantries registered to receive fresh produce. It's such an efficient way to both eliminate the waste of food and to help feed those who need it.
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AmpleHarvest.org tackles big issues like food waste, hunger, and malnutrition in a most innovative way. I believe it's the most important tool for any gardener!
AmpleHarvest.org is a great organization that very efficiently supports over 7400 pantries nationwide by helping them get healthy and fresh produce to those who desperately need it.
What I like about the organization is that they use internet technology as well as social media to really leverage their reach and effectiveness. This organization provides more value in this area than the mega non profits in the hunger space on a minimal budget that would be comparable to a local single city non profit (probably less than most of those). Their founder is very conscientious about costs and is very diligent about making sure organizational overhead does not get in the way of effectively doing it's job. My only disappointment about Ample Harvest is that it has far less funding than it should. This is definitely an organization worth getting behind.
With so many people in need in America, it hurts to know that so much good food is being thrown out. Now gardeners everywhere are empowered to do something better with their excess produce. The website makes it easy to find a place to donate your food. In fact, the find-a-pantry page is not just used by gardeners, but a variety of individuals and groups - from people in need of food assistance, to corporations that have food to donate, and even other nonprofits concerned with hunger. Thank you, AmpleHarvest.org!
Its amazing when someone finds a solution that seems so simple yet no one has put it into place. AmpleHarvest.org is like that. Simple: a gardener has too many cucumbers (tomatoes, etc.), goes to AmpleHarvest.org on the Web, finds their local pantry, and takes their excess produce to the pantry. Voila! Fresh food for those in need; the gardener feels great about making a difference. No waste. No trucks. Amazing. AmpleHarvest.org founder, staff, and board are tireless workers. This is a charity worth supporting and worth watching.
I became acquainted with AmpleHarvest.org after we filmed an episode featuring the work they do. I'm the Exec. Producer and host of Growing a Greener World. We were impressed! Founder Gary Oppenheimer is passionate about making this organization accessible to growers and those in need of fresh produce. After experiencing his boundless enthusiasm and his genuine desire to help end hunger, I wanted to help beyond just airing the episode to a national audience. Little did I know that would include an invitation by Gary to serve on the Board. I've received several invitations to serve on other boards, but this is the first one I've ever accepted. I've now served for about a year. In that time, I've been impressed by every aspect of their mission and efforts to help spread awareness for what they do, along with how to reach an even greater audience. Currently, they're still a lean organization with great capacity if given the opportunity for the financial resources they need to really break through. At current financial levels, they're barely scratching the surface on the potential. They could do so much more with additional and funding.
AmpleHarvest.org is a non-profit that genuinely believes in their mission and works endlessly to fight hunger in America. Gary Oppenheimer has boundless energy devoted to AmpleHarvest.org. The world needs more organizations like this one!
I work with the AmpleHarvest.org campaign and have also used the Find a Local Food Pantry tool for gardeners to find several pantries in my community to bring produce donations to. AmpleHarvest.org helps to provide a sustainable solution to a serious problem; hunger across America. There are millions of gardeners in this country and if they're like the ones in my circle of family and friends, they've got excess produce that needs a home. Those in homes who regularly face bare shelves are more than excited to receive fresh delicious fruits and vegetables. It offers the opportunity for grassroots efforts to make an immediate and tangible difference. Not only does this campaign fight hunger, but also malnutrition by providing a healthy alternative full of essential vitamins and minerals which might otherwise be lacking in a diet dependent upon the processed foods often found on pantry shelves. AmpleHarvest.org offers a positive environmental impact as well by eliminating methane gas from produce that might otherwise be thrown away and left to rot, and because it's based on neighbors providing nutrition for neighbors, it cuts down on greenhouse gas emissions that would otherwise have been generated from long distance transport of food. In today's economy, food pantries are finding it increasingly difficult to find food. It costs a gardener pennies to grow a plant from seed and the bounty can provide food for months. Once local gardeners and farmers connect with their local food pantries, a continuous loop of giving is created for years to come. AmpleHarvest.org offers wonderful tools for food pantries and gardeners at absolutely no cost. That, combined with outreach and education efforts to create awareness about hunger in America, makes this a non-profit certainly deserving of 5 stars.
Last year I finally started planting the garden I always wanted. I had heard of AmpleHarvest's challenge to plant some extra so I put down 15 tomato plants instead of 5, and full packages of seeds where I only needed about 1/4 of the package. It turns out that we have so many families hurting in town financially that my extra produce never even made it to food pantries. I was simply delivering the bounty to local senior citizens that needed the food or having unemployed friends show up to help gather the harvest and take some home to their families. No-one was turned away, and the efforts of my little spade fed 10 families in need as well as my own. This year my 4-H students are going to assist with planting as well, and we hope for even more harvest to share. To that end we are trying to organize a seed swap in February to hook up gardeners with extra space with free seeds to plant. We are also gonig to ask for help from our local agricultural extension. Ample Harvest shows us we can work together to be good stewards of the land as well as each other. Celeste Hampton, The West Milford 4-H Velveteen Rabbit Club
In addition to the obvious benefit of providing food to the hungry, AmpleHarvest.org helps to connect people through the provision of a basic commodity - food. It taps into the essential "human- ness" of us all and our need to nurture and support one another. The program makes it easy for us all to do just that - share what we have with others to improve their situation and to meet an important human need of our own - to provide support and nurturing to others. When I was approached with a donation of three bushel baskets of lettuce, I was impressed with his generosity and overwhelmed with his with happiness and satisfaction in knowing what a difference he has made. AmpleHarvest.org provides the opportunity for this community of sharing to exist and benefit all.
AmpleHarvest.org is an amazing organization that connects individuals that have with individuals that need. It's a simple idea that has a major impact on families that need healthy, available food by connecting them will supply right in their local community. By providing fresh produce, families in not only receive sustenance but healthy alternatives to the canned food that pantries usually provide.
As a non-profit ED who has worked with small, grass-roots programs for almost 20 years we knew that AmpleHarvest.org was a winner from the first time we heard about their work. Gary Oppenheimer's vision of eliminating hunger with the help of home gardeners is brilliant. Everything about this program is just right--an accomplished founder with vision, technical expertise, and a palpable passion for others; and home gardeners with the ability and desire to share their bounty with others. AmpleHarvest.org solves the ‘excess supply not being able to reach demand’ problem which has always plagued the country’s food bank system. News reports repeatedly share that this country produces sufficient food to feed everyone; AmpleHarvest.org takes a huge step in making that a reality by organizing a previously under-tapped resource.
As a Master Gardener AND someone well aware of hunger, I was not happy when my prolific garden produced more than we could use... and excess food was left to rot in the garden. Some I was able to give away, but still more was lost.
In 2009, I created AmpleHarvest.org as a way for 40+ million home gardeners like me to be able to find a local food pantry eager for the excess harvest.
For me, the idea of turning dirt into dinner has always had an appeal.
AmpleHarvest.org is now giving millions of our needy neighbors the opportunity to feed their families with the same food we eat.... and in doing so, they are eating
-healthier (lower health care costs for America in the future)
-locally grown (smaller carbon foot print)
-and freshly harvested (kids learn that apples do not naturally come pre-sliced in cellophane and that carrots are not normally mushy)
food contributed by their neighbors.
Furthermore, the waste stream in America is reduced as is the methane emissions from municipal trash dumps.
In every sense of the word, AmpleHarvest.org is neighbors helping neighbors.
It is a one of a kind effort, backed by Google, the USDA, EPA, Rotary Int'l, VFW, AARP and many faith and service organizations across America that enables people to help the needy by reaching into their backyards instead of their back pockets.
I am the Director of the St. Vincent dePaul Food Pantry located at St. Peter's Church in Concord, NH. I registered with Ample Harvest a year ago. A local farmer called me last summer and wanted to donate produce to us. We talked and she has become a benefactor. We both got several distributions as the summer and fall progressed, and she invited us to help with the harvest on her farm. One of our volunteers did so, and we have let others know of her offer to share her produce directly with food pantry client families. She had needed help in difficult times earlier in her life and was glad to be able to "give back".
The AmpleHarvest.org concept is helping many farmers and food pantries and I wish it well going forward.
George Weber
AmpleHarvest.org is an organization that helps gardeners give extra produce from their garden to a local food pantry. Lots of people in America need food pantries. I know of lots of gardeners with extra food in their gardens, and lots of pantries asking all the time for more food. This organization brings them together. A REALLY smart idea... created by a CNN Hero