FAQ's

What Is Hidden Harvest?
Why is there so much produce left in the fields and packing houses when the farmers are done with harvest?
How does Hidden Harvest operate?
Who does Hidden Harvest serve?
What else does Hidden Harvest do besides rescuing produce?
How much produce does Hidden Harvest rescue a year?
How much food does Hidden Harvest provide?
How does Hidden Harvest benefit low-income people?
How does Hidden Harvest benefit the community?
How can I help as a volunteer?
How do I volunteer?
How do I donate?
How does my donation help?
I know someone in the Coachella Valley who needs food. What should he or she do?

Q -- What Is Hidden Harvest?

A -- Hidden Ha­rvest is a nonprofit organization that gleans or rescues produce from Coachella Valley fields and packi­ng houses. After harvest is complete, local farmers leave millions of dollars worth of first-rate produce behind in the fields due to market fluctuations and other factors.

Hidden Harvest takes­ advantage of this bounty and delivers the healthy produce free-of-charge to agencies that serve the hungry and needy

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Q -- Why is there so much produce left in the fields and packing houses when the farmers are done with harvest?

A -- The Coachella Valley is one of the largest agricultural regions in the nation. Yet millions of pounds of nutritious, locally-grown produce are left behind each year because the crop has grown too large for its packaging or market fluctuations make it unprofitable for the farmer to harvest. Sometimes crops are not harvested because the perfectly edible produce has a blemish, sunburn or other cosmetic imperfection.

Until Hidden Harvest came along in 2001, hundreds of  tons of healthy food was simply plowed under. In addition, Hidden Harvest retrieves thousands of pounds of fresh produce from packing houses. This product may be unsold or unclaimed but retains its full taste and nutritional value.

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Q -- How does Hidden Harvest operate?

A -- Through partnerships with local growers, Hidden Harvest is able to hire the working poor to glean fields of vegetables after the farmer has completed his or her harvest. Many times, 25% or more of the crop is not harvested.

Through partnerships with Coachella Valley packing houses, Hidden Harvest picks up thousands of pounds of picked and boxed produce each month and distributes it free of charge to area agencies that serve the needy.

Over 11 million pounds of donated produce from fields and packing  houses has been distributed to over 60+ agencies since 2001.

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Q -- Who does Hidden Harvest serve?

A -- In ten years of operation, Hidden Harvest has recovered more than 11 million pounds of produce from fields and packing houses and delivered it free of charge to 60+ agencies in eastern Riverside County. These agencies include Martha's Village and Kitchen, the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission, the Well in the Desert, The Desert AIDS Project, FIND, FISH, and many more.

The low income farmworkers employed by Hidden Harvest are also served by the organization. The additional hours of paid work lead to more self-reliance and independence.

Despite the initial appearance of abundance and wealth in the Coachella Valley, more than 40% of the Valley's children live in homes at or below the federal poverty line. The Coachella Valley also is home to a large population of low-income and fixed income senior citizens. An exact estimate of their numbers is hard to calculate as some come to the area during the winter months and then return to homes elsewhere during the spring and summer. Agencies dealing with the elderly in Riverside County estimate there are from 25,000 to 40,000 low or fixed-income senior citizens living in the Valley during the winter months. These seniors often must compromise the nutritional value of their diets to pay for other necessities such as utilities or prescription drugs.  These are among the populations served by Hidden Harvest.

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Q -- What else does Hidden Harvest do besides rescuing produce?

A -- Hidden Harvest is the only organization in the country that pays low-income, experienced farm workers to glean the fields. Extra dollars in the laborers' pockets translates to more independence for low-income families.

Hidden Harvest gives away rescued produce to more than 60 agencies  that serve the poor. The produce we distribute helps in the fight against America's greatest health care problems--diabetes and childhood obesity. We deliver free in our refrigerated truck, or agencies can pick up the produce themselves at our facility in Coachella.

We make a concerted effort to hire female crews when possible.

Hidden Harvest is the leading resource in the Coachella Valley educating the media and the public about hunger and nutrition issues. Have a question about hunger? Ask us. Hidden Harvest is experienced in community gardening and federal food programs such as:

• National School Breakfast Program

• Summer Food Service Program

• Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC)

• Federal Food Stamp Program

• The Farm Bill

Hidden Harvest provides nutrition and cooking classes, on the theory that it is not enough to give away produce clients need to know how it helps them and how to use it.


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Q -- How much produce does Hidden Harvest rescue a year?

A -- Since 2001 Hidden Harvest  has harvested over 12 milllion pounds of fresh, surplus crops from  Coachella Valley fields and local packing houses. All this "rescued" produce was distributed to more than 60 agencies that serve low-income families. Hidden Harvest serves nearly 45,000 families with fresh, locally grown produce each month through our client agencies.

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Q -- How much food does Hidden Harvest provide?

A --Our produce is delivered to more than 45,000 families each month, via our partner agencies.

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Q -- How does Hidden Harvest benefit low-income people?

A -- Hidden Harvest introduces fresh, nutritious produce into the diets of individuals and families in need. In the diets of people of low or fixed incomes, fresh fruits and vegetables are often the first thing to be sacrificed on the grocery list. But these fresh foods are a critical part of the public's health.

The produce we distribute helps in the fight against some of  America's greatest, but most treatable, health care problems--diabetes and childhood obesity.

For example, people who consume at least five servings (one-half cup equals one serving) of fruits and vegetables a day have a 31% lower risk of stroke than those who eat fewer than three helpings. A diet rich in fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products can reduce blood pressure as much as the most commonly used hypertension drugs, eliminating the need for expensive prescriptions in many patients with mild hypertension.

By paying crews to "rescue" produce, Hidden Harvest also puts additional wages in the pockets of low-income farmworkers.

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Q -- How does Hidden Harvest benefit the community?

A -- Hidden Harvest is a public health initiative that does these things:

• Provides income for low-income farm workers paid to harvest produce.

• Prevents the onset of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, learning disabilities and infectious diseases often found in low-income individuals and families.

• Promotes good health and stronger immunities for those most affected by hunger -- children and the elderly.

• Encourages greater collaboration among the community-- food banks and pantries, the agribusiness community, produce wholesalers, local government, the school districts, hospitals, the non-profit community -- to assist neighbors in need.

• Diminishes state health care costs often associated with treating the malnourished.

• Supports the efforts of local and state governments in their efforts to combat hunger.

• Limits the waste of thousands of pounds of fresh, usable produce.

• Reduces unusually high dumping costs for produce wholesalers.

• Provides tax incentives for produce donors.

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Q -- How can I help as a volunteer?

A

-- Hidden Harvest volunteers help with sorting and bagging vegetables and assisting during special events such as our Senior Markets and Healthy Fairs.

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Q -- How do I volunteer?

A -- To volunteer, please call (760) 398-8183 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (760) 398-8183 FREE  end_of_the_skype_highlighting or e-mail sandra@hiddenharvest.org

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Q -- How do I donate?

A -- There is a secure Paypal payment center set up to take donations on each page of our website. Just click "Make a Donation".
Our tax ID number is 33-0821743.

Donations also may be mailed to:

Hidden Harvest
P.O. Box 266
Coachella, CA 92236

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Q -- How does my donation help?

A -- Hidden Harvest's Board of Directors has pledged to cover all administrative costs through board contributions. This means 100% of contributions from the public go directly to operating the gleaning program.

Donations to Hidden Harvest make a difference!

For example, $1000 in donations will hire 20 low income workers ($10 per hour for a six hour shift) and will yield 24,000 pounds of cantaloupe with a retail price of $.99 / pound.*

So your $1000 investment yields $23,760 in nutritious produce for the hungry!

Another example: An $800 donation in June, 2007 paid a crew of 20 who worked 4 hours at $10 an hour. Their labor yielded 10,752 pounds of beefsteak tomatoes.

The retail value of those tomatoes was $32,148 (at $2.99 per pound), so the donor received a $32,148 yield for an $800 gift.

* 2007 prices

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Q -- I know someone in the Coachella Valley who needs food. What should he or she do?

A -- If you or someone you know needs food assistance, contact us at our Coachella office: (760) 398-8183 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (760) 398-8183 FREE  end_of_the_skype_highlighting.

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