The Landfill is Mad At Us!

Yes, it’s true. Our landfill is not happy because, since the Giving Challenge 2022, Community Harvest SRQ (Transition Sarasota) has kept a total of 102,000 pounds of fresh produce out of the landfill or from rotting on farms. Instead the produce went on the plates of local people in need. That’s over 230,000 servings of nutritious food that would have otherwise gone to waste. Since rotting food produces methane gas, an environmental pollutant, this was a win for the environment, too!

During the 2002 Giving Challenge, generous donors gave more than $12,000 to Transition Sarasota. We are so grateful for all the opportunities these donations provided and we have done a lot! Because of you we expanded Suncoast Fruit Rescue, a program where our volunteers harvest excess backyard fruit.  We have now rescued over 5,300 pounds of excess  fruit that was provided directly to food pantries, a youth shelter, and organizations serving meals to those in need. Guess where the fruit would have done otherwise? Yup…the landfill.

Thanks to our supporters, we started a whole new veggie rescue program in 2022…Farmers Market Produce Recovery. With our new program, we pick up leftover farmers market produce and deliver it directly to local food banks and The Salvation Army, where the nutritious produce is used to help people in recovery programs. This program has been extremely successful and rewarding for everyone involved.

Thanks to your support we were also able to reach out to farms that had already harvested produce. This food is generally either excess or “not pretty enough” to be sold. Instead of going to waste, it went to three local food banks. By partnering with these farms, we saved close to 36,000 pounds of farm fresh produce. 

During the last two years we have seen a lot of changes to our economy and our environment, which has increased the need for assistance. An estimated 38 percent of local folks are struggling to meet basic needs. Transition Sarasota (Community Harvest SRQ) plays an important part in leveling the playing field for access to nutritious food, working toward a healthier environment, and offering opportunities for people to become more resilient. 

None of this great work could have been done without the support of our donors. The Giving Challenge, strengthened by The Patterson Foundation, is so important for local non-profits. There is so much more to do and we need your help during the 2024 Giving Challenge from noon to noon April 9-10 to make it happen. Visit  Giving Challenge 2024

There are veggies waiting to be rescued before they hit the landfill! (OK…a little guilt there, sorry).

Joyce Norris, Executive Director - Transition Sarasota