Even on a busy week, many farmers who sell their harvests at the Santa Barbara Certified Farmers’ Markets have leftovers when customers head home. Now, with many sheltering in place rather than venturing to the markets during the COVID-19 outbreak, there may be more surplus than ever before. In swoops Veggie Rescue to the, well, rescue, once again.
The nonprofit, which was founded by Santa Ynez residents Terry and Holly Delaney in 2011, “collects excess produce and high-quality prepared food from farms, farmers’ markets, backyards, and businesses, then distributes directly to schools and organizations serving those in need, at no cost to the recipient,” explained Amy Derryberry, a longtime volunteer who became the organization’s first executive director in 2015. “Our mission is to improve the nutrition and quality of life for our community members who are struggling with food insecurity by providing them with healthy, local produce and to work with farmers to reduce food waste at the beginning of the food cycle.”
The Delaneys came up with the idea after visiting a friend who was living at the Salvation Army, where the food almost all came from cans or freezers. The next time they hit the farmers’ market, they asked farmers to donate, and it snowballed from there, eventually including harvesting apples from unused orchards and gleaning backyard produce from those who grew too much.