OXNARD, CA - Deardorff Family Farms has formed a new collaboration, utilizing its industry prowess to help fight hunger in Ventura County, California. The company has announced it is working with Food Share Ventura County to launch a social entrepreneurship project called Farm Share.
“Having grown up in a farming family, I knew that if we could connect the farms more directly with Food Share, we could improve both the quantity and quality of fresh produce available to those who need it most,” shared Kate Deardorff, a senior in high school who has been volunteering with Food Share Ventura County for many years doing produce packing, food distribution, and gardening. As Deardorff noted, she has seen first-hand the huge demand for fresh food as well as the difficulty for Food Share to source good-quality produce for those facing food insecurity.
Thus, the plan to create a collaboration between Deardorff Family Farms and Food Share was developed. Through this alliance, Deardorff Family Farms provides the land and materials to grow fresh produce, while Food Share provides the volunteers to get the work done. As a press release explained, this collaboration between a private farm and Food Share is a whole new approach to sourcing produce for those in need; the name “Farm Share” was created to reflect the unique workings of the farm/Food Share partnership.
One hundred percent of the produce will be donated to Food Share, which traditionally sources food from leftover products. As the company explained, this new model allows food to be specifically grown for Food Share, ensuring better quality and more consistent quantity for families in need.
Deardorff and several daily volunteers are currently planting Romaine, Iceberg, cabbage, and cauliflower to be harvested later this summer. The program will produce over 100,000 pounds of fresh vegetables for those facing food insecurity in Ventura County.
Cheers to this valiant effort to support those in need!
